Sport – she can be a cruel mistress. She treats us like absolute muck yet we keep coming back for more.
Following on from last week’s heartbreaking, final-kick-of-the-game defeat to New Zealand, JOE and Today FM’s KC Show decided to look at some other high-profile Irish sporting moments where defeat has been shockingly snatched from the jaws of victory. Get your hankies at the ready folks, there’s going to be a lot of uncontrollable sobbing involved.
Happy Friday everyone. Smiley face.
Ireland v New Zealand, 2013
As a nation we’re still reeling from our recent, agonising defeat at the hands of New Zealand’s Ryan Crotty and at the (double-kicking) feet of Aaron Cruden.
Here’s the entire game in all of its non-glory, complete with classic Kiwi commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=985d5nBQjOE
New Zealand v Ireland, 2012
It wasn’t the first time the cruel Kiwis defeated the boys in green in the dying moments. Check out the absolute points beast that is Dan Carter coolly slotting over this devestating drop kick in Christchurch:
Ireland v France, 2007
The Kiwis aren’t the only nasty nation to inflict this sort of pain and suffering on our sports stars though. Remember when France’s Vincent Clerc destroyed any hope of an Irish Grand Slam, as he scored a last-minute try in what was also the first ever game of rugby held at Croke Park? Of course you do.
Didn’t you know that was an incredibly important occasion for us Vincent!?
Clearly not.
France v Ireland, 2009
It’s not just the rugby that the French like to ruin. We can’t really bring ourselves to talk about this next particular debacle, which could have seen Trap’s team heading to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
We give you The Hand Of Frog:
And here’s Monsieur Va Va Voom kind of apologising (but not really):
Ireland v Spain, 2002
Years before we were hoping to be the 33rd team at the 2010 World Cup, however, we were busy trying to put the current world champions to the soccer sword, coming oh so close to knocking Spain out of the competition with a heroic performance in Suwon, South Korea:
Sonia O’Sullivan v Gaby Szabo, 2000
It’s not just the boys and their balls that have been left broken hearted though, as one of this nation’s greatest ever athletes found out back in the Outback when the 2000 Olympics were held in Australia. The super Sonia O’Sullivan excruciatingly lost out to her Romanian rival Gaby Szabo in the home stretch of the 5000m.
Strewth!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK6H8OeMEGA
Rory McIlroy v Rory McIlroy, 2011
And finally, our wee Rory proves that it’s not always a rival who snatches defeat from you, as well as showing us that these disastrous defeats can be a drawn out, slow torture, as he suffered a complete and utter Masters meltdown in 2011.
Thankfully though, all’s well that ends well as McIlroy was back with an absolute bang the following year to blow all of his opponents out of the water… mainly by staying out of the water. As those crazy, cheesy yanks would say, “here’s the tale of his incredible journey…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzMdeGzh53E
Of course this is just a small selection and there are many, many more cruel moments in Irish sporting history, but we hoped you enjoyed this collection of chosen ones from JOE and Today FM’s KC Show. Tune in to Today FM every Friday at 1.15pm where JOE will will join KC to bring you more of the funtime Friday funnies…
You loved it so much, we’re bringing it back! The JOE Pub Quiz is LIVE again.
We’re hitting up The Academy, Dublin on Friday, 14th of February.
Tickets are on sale from Friday 31st Jan at €29.90 each and available on Ticketmaster.
