What do you associate with the intersection of Croke Park and rugby? A combination of emotions, from tearful eyes, exuberant celebrations, but without a pint in hand while enjoying from the stands? Remember Martin Corry’s esteemed gesture? Or Dan Parks nailing a penalty? Perhaps you recall the moment when Vincent Clerc, who later became an enduring adversary of Irish rugby, deflated the jubilant atmosphere in the stadium, a shift so stark it felt like a conversion from a vibrant colosseum to a silent mausoleum, achieved solely with a tilt of his shoulder and a sleek body swerve.
Do you also remember answering Tommy Bowe for a trivia question? Or were you perhaps part of the overwhelming 82,208-strong crowd that swamped the GAA headquarters in 2009, witnessing as Leinster seized the crown from the formidable reigning Heineken Cup champions, Munster?
This coming Saturday will witness Croke Park hosting its second European Champions Cup semi-final. The players stepping onto the field will be, once again, the Leinster side, and their familiar rivals from numerous tournament encounters, including the memorable 2011 final, Northampton Saints.
This event represents the 16th rugby game to be played at the Jones’ Road venue. The inaugural 15 competition matches took place between 2007 and 2010, with a few of those games tremendous enough to enter Irish sporting folklore. Interesting enough, the impact of the Croke Park atmosphere on visiting players is an intriguing, yet lesser-known, aspect.
The historic significance of the stadium often prompts visiting teams to equip their players with an understanding of its background. This was the approach adopted in 2007 by then England head coach, and former history teacher, Brian Ashton. He invited Conor O’Shea, former Ireland fullback and then England academy manager, to enlighten his squad about the relevance of Croke Park to Irish citizens. Ashton’s aim was to imbue his team with the realisation that they were not heading to a common Irish field in Dublin. O’Shea dutifully obliged, narrating the narrative of the ground, including the tragic 1920 killing by the British Army of Michael Hogan, a player from Tipperary. The response was impressive, with the entire 22-man squad and all support staff showing genuine interest.
Sam Vesty, the head coach of Northampton, anticipates the upcoming confrontation with Leinster at Croke Park.
The sporting occasion was indeed unforgettable, as England’s backrow, Corry, applauded heartily and unprompted whilst standing in line, honouring the audience’s silent respect during the national anthem, God Save the Queen. This was before Ireland’s notable 43-13 triumph.
This was the second rugby Test match to take place at the distinguished Croke Park, following the previous contest between Ireland and France at the same tournament’s second weekend, notably, the 2007 Six Nations championship.
Under the guidance of Eddie O’Sullivan, Ireland led with a score of 17-13 – all points courtesy of Ronan O’Gara – with a mere two minutes left on the clock, before the French wing, Clerc, endearingly referred to as “Chicken” by his peers for his unique running manner, scored a try and Lionel Beauxis successfully converted it.
France emerged as winners with a score of 20-17, thereby seizing the championship title, marking Ireland’s only defeat in the series of five matches and beating them by a slim points difference of 69 to 65. Both nations secured four victories each. This success signalled the rise of Clerc’s outstanding career, a constant reminder to the Irish teams, as he scored eight tries against them in total.
The French team was sufficiently informed about the significance of Croke Park. Clerc remembered, “There were numerous factors surrounding the match. We had been thoroughly informed about its historical importance – its first hosting of a non-Gaelic sport in a Gaelic stadium, the previously-recorded massacre, and the profound emotion it invoked.”
He further said, “The contagious passion was moving; it remains as one of the few instances I’ve shed tears during the opposition’s national anthem. That 2007 match holds paramount importance for me due to diverse reasons.”
Clerc continued to elaborate on the match’s decisive moments, “We secured the ball post the restart, and it quickly travelled down the right. One can realise that everything boils down to instincts. It seemed chaotic, but the yearning to claim the victory was powerful. In spite of nearly losing some balls, the players reacted vigorously and fought for it.”
Upon receiving the ball, instinct took over. Choosing to cut in due to the defence’s movement, there was no clear target in sight. When nearing the line and making the choice to surge forward, you aren’t certain if it’s the correct one. Yet, you are aware that giving your all is essential as something inside compels you.
Oddly enough, a few moments prior, a thought crossed my mind – if I scored, I would hold the rooster emblem close to my heart. I wasn’t one to typically celebrate scoring tries, but on this occasion, I knew I would. The opportunity arose just minutes later – it was as if fate had a hand in it. Now a rugby analyst for Canal+, a French TV station, Clerc fondly remembers his match against Ireland. His style of play coincided well with theirs, made evident as control over the halves alternated between the squads.
The usual pattern saw our team taking the lead before the Irish would respond in kind. Whether it was 2007’s World Cup or the Six Nations series the subsequent year when I scored a hat trick, facing the Irish proved fruitful for me. Luckily, this did not result in any animosity, it may have even brought us closer.
Playing at Croke Park has its own set of challenges for the host team or favoured squad. 15 years ago, a highly favoured Munster squad was taken by surprise by Leinster, a memory the Saints would have fresh in their minds. The venue has witnessed Ireland’s defeat, to France in 2007, to Wales and New Zealand in 2008 and finally to Scotland in 2010 during the last Test match held in the GAA headquarters with Parks’ late penalty contributing to a 23-20 win for Scotland.
Northampton’s Irish-born strength and conditioning coach, Eamonn Hyland, presented a guide about the ground’s history to the team on Monday. Praise for the presentation was high, with Fin Smith, the outhalf, describing it as emotionally touching, saying it gave him “chills”. Playing at Croke Park can either act as a restraint or a motivational drive and no one, ally or enemy, can ignore or be unaffected by it, bringing an extra level of complexity to the upcoming Saturday game.
And to address the matter about Bowe, he was the last Irish player to score a Test match try at Croke Park.