Tag: Italy
-
Come on Ireland – must do better
If you were to stick to the rudiments of teams and individuals representing the nation in major sporting events, with the exceptions of Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and the horse racing set, the above headline remains wholly applicable. Admittedly, the idea of sports persons being ‘role models’ has always been hogwash…
-
Even Noah couldn’t fight the tide without his ark
Sometimes you witness, either in person or on a screen, happenings in sport which nobody has to underline the importance of. Often the significance of which stretches well beyond the bounds of the sport concerned. For example, the penalty shootout in Genoa in 1990, Katie Taylor’s Olympic gold in London or Dawn Run winning the…
-
Rowntree’s shock departure leaves a sour taste
A deceased Irish rugby legend once said to yours truly in a tent at the Punchestown Festival “Rugby, my friend, is a game for thugs played by gentlemen, whereas soccer is a game for gentlemen played by roughens”. Whether you agree with the actual nuts and bolts of his views or not is immaterial. At…
-
Last vestiges of decency lost in pit of squaller
There are certain things in life where, generally speaking, there’s no allowance for middle ground. The most obvious example of that being party politics. Largely speaking, you were either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael and there were very clear lines in the sand pertaining to same and they weren’t for crossing. Though in truth there…
-
Going back to what we know best
June is a strange month. Which stirs more emotions in yours truly than you could shake a stick at. Obviously, in terms of sadness, nothing will ever surpass the 10th. Da’s anniversary. On the opposite end of that scale, June 2nd was the start of the four match saga between Meath and Dublin of 1991.…
-
A fine line between opportunity and risk
Ireland… 33 Italy… 17 Challenge matches, Test matches, friendlies, warm ups, whatever you want. Do they carry any value? Observers of a certain vintage would be of the view they’re not worth the grass they get played on. An easy conclusion to arrive at if using the 1988 case of Meath and Kildare as a…
-
Luck of the Irish was unfortunately a two way street
Rep. Of Ireland… 1 Canada… 2 Scoring very early in a match is quite often a poisoned chalice. There are occasions when such is not the case of course. Such as Ray Houghton’s goal against the US in 1994 or Colm O’Rourke doing something similar for Meath against Dublin in 1990 or Graham Geraghty doing…
-
Grand designs not the finished article yet
Ireland… 34 Italy… 20 In assignments like Saturday’s at the Stadio Olympico in Rome, teams like Ireland are on a hiding to nothing. Win by a big score and you’re only doing what you’re supposed and expected to do. Don’t, and there’s obviously something fairly drastically wrong. On this occasion, Ireland probably fell between the…
-
Good news stories and tough home truths
There are some occasions in sport – and other facets of life – when the form book can go out the window. Or at least that’s the way it used to be. With Irish sport anyway. Tonight at the World Cup though, the form book didn’t so much go out the window as into a…
-
Life through a different lens
When you hear the words ‘Italia ’90’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Genoa, the penalty shootout, The Snapper and the open top bus ride through the city streets will be always near the top of any such compilation of recollections for yours truly. Only usurping it would be the memory of the…