Ireland as we know have never got the better of the All Blacks and on current form that doesn’t look likely on changing, but there is always that famous Munster win of 1978.
At this stage it seems like just about everyone has claimed to have been at that historic match, but one man who most certainly was there has been reminiscing ahead of a special once-off performance of Alone It Stands at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this Friday night.
Tony Ward scored two drop goals and a conversion on that famous day on October 31st 1978 and says that the show, with Clare Monnelly , Jamie O’Neill, John Merriman, Stephen Jones, Vincent Moran and Sam McGovern recreating 62 roles, is an excellent recreation of the day and remembers the first time he saw the John Breen production.
“I first saw the play 10 years ago and it was in the most brilliant setting. The play has gone right around the world at this stage and while I was in Australia during the 2003 World Cup I was offered tickets to go and watch it in the Opera House.
“I had always wanted to go there and it was incredible that my first time in the Sydney Opera House was to watch our 1978 win over the All Blacks.”
While the current Irish squad have been given little or no chance of upsetting the odds to claim a first ever win over the All Blacks on Sunday, Ward says this was a similar story back when the Munster men took to the field in Thomond Park back in the day.
“That was an outstanding New Zealand side who had swept all before them on their European tour. We genuinely believed we had no chance before the game, which was the general consensus.
“I remember training before the game. We literally had two men and a dog watching our session while the All Blacks had a huge turnout for their practice session which was held at Old Crescent’s ground. There was so many in attendance the Limerick Leader ran a piece on it.”
The game has gone down in Munster and Irish rugby folklore. Christy Cantillon got the only try of the game, with Ward converting and slotting home two penalties, but the out-half says that two things in particular really stood out.
“The grace the All Blacks showed afterwards was incredible. They had been unbeaten all year and to lose to an Irish provincial side was a real blot in the copybook and they had a tough time at home subsequently, but were nothing but magnanimous in defeat.”
“The one things that perhaps gave us the most satisfaction was the fact that we kept them scoreless, which is a rare feat against any New Zealand side. To be nilled, from their perspective was most unusual and gave us huge sense of accomplishment.”
While it gave the five Munster players involved a huge fillip going into Ireland’s game against the All Blacks the following Saturday, and indeed the entire squad, the defeat in Limerick must have spurred the visitors on as they dug deep with a last minute try to edge a narrow 10-6 win.
Ward says that the team meet regularly for charity events and naturally most conversations turn back to that sunny winter’s day where 12,000 witnessed a stunning win, though conceded that they are currently on their longest drought from meeting up.
The pundit believes that in order for Ireland to have had any chance of victory on Sunday, a win over the Wallabies was crucial, but now it is a case of restoring pride after a disappointing outing last Saturday.
“Unfortunately I think to have had any chance of beating the All Blacks we needed to get the win over the Wallabies last Saturday.”
“New Zealand are simply too far ahead of everyone at this stage, but you’d never know. No one gave us a chance on the 31st of October 1978, but I wouldn’t be putting my house on an Irish win, not by a longshot.”
So head along to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre where you can be guaranteed of an Irish victory over the All Blacks. Another win on Sunday, and we will have a new set of history breaking heroes.
Alone It Stands comes to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre for one night only on Friday November 22nd. For more information click here.
