Six decades ago, during England and Ireland’s comparable fixture at Twickenham, Mike Gibson kicked off his celebrated international career with a truly extraordinary Test debut. A standout moment of this match, which saw Ireland triumph 18-5, was the legendary third try worth three points. This win ended England’s seven successive victories at Twickenham since the esteemed 1948 Grand Slam won by Jack Kyle.
Gibson, playing at outhalf from inside his own half off a scrum, masterfully deceived his opponents with an artful dummy move and was then simply unstoppable. He meticulously executed a coordination play with centre, Jerry Walsh, advancing the ball before connecting with winger Pat Casey, who took it to the scoring line. This timeless moment is revisitable on YouTube as part of a dedicated documentary.
In addition, Gibson was surrounded by a powerful Irish contingent including the likes of Tom Kiernan, Kevin Flynn, Ronnie Dawson, Ray McLoughlin, Willie-John McBride, Bill Mulcahy, and Noel Murphy.
The upcoming match doubles as the golden anniversary of Ireland’s remarkable 26-21 win at Twickenham in 1974. This game saw Gibson playing at outside centre, where he scored a brace of tries and conversions. These were unparalleled times. Ireland relished in the third of five consecutive victories against England, a record at that time. Gibson was a key player in all these triumphant matches. This was a historical series of victories dating back 141 matches to London’s the Oval in 1875.
Fast forward to the present day and Ireland could match this record of five consecutive wins against their longstanding adversary at Twickenham. Today’s times are even more extraordinary. Even if Ireland were to defeat England for the fifth successive time at Twickenham, Ireland has never been 12 or 13-point favourites.
Ireland has also never dominated the tournament quite like at present. They’re aiming to outshine England’s all-time Championship record of 11 sequential wins set between 2015 and 2017. And even seen through the optimistic lens of the Irish, securing a title at Twickenham and possibly achieving consecutive Grand Slams could greatly boost the Six Nations tournament and the world of rugby alike.
Without the Irish squad’s involvement, this year’s Six Nations has been less than an optimal example of the sport. Highlighting the 2022 and 2023 Championships, the exhilarating encounters between Ireland and France were the standout fixtures but have been followed by a steady dip in the entertainment aspect ever since their inaugural night face-off in Marseille where Ireland inflicted a considerable defeat to Les Bleus.
The Wales-Scotland match undeniably had its fair share of excitement, and the Italy-England clash stirred some interest on the first weekend, although not of the best standard. Warren Gatland even criticised Wales’ opening performance as the poorest under his tenure.
The Scotland-France matchline was marred by a tedious exchange of aerial play, with Finn Russell being a significant contributor. England went back to their boot-heavy strategy, using their superior replacements to wear down Wales in a rather subpar contest.
England showcased an exceptional set-piece try before Duhan van der Merwe from Scotland demonstrated impressive stealth scoring thrice for his team. Still, the France-Italy duel, despite Ange Capuozzo’s try and an eventful yet unsatisfactory climax, was predominantly uninteresting.
The key shift from the past two Championships is France’s deterioration, who – in the absence of Antoine Dupont – have shifted towards a more limiting, kick-oriented strategy. In contrast, the Scottish side shares a strong bond and have an attacking prowess. England, Wales, and Italy are in a transition phase with refurbished teams under new coaches still endeavouring to expand their offensive play, primarily under Steve Borthwick, whose strategy is heavily reliant on statistics, even more than Fabien Galthié.
Data-fuelled rugby demands improvement. A dynamic game focusing more on passes and runs would better promote the sport.
Of course, these are subjective. Some might feel that Ireland’s resounding back-to-back Slams lacks unpredictability. Nevertheless, even the British critics, disapproving their team’s play or the Championships, would rejoice in victory, even if it were a narrow one, alongside the home Twickenham crowd.
However, it is speculated that avid rugby fans from New Zealand who feel the urge to rise at ungodly hours just to view any Six Nations matches, might likely do so more for Ireland than any other squad. The scenario is somewhat reminiscent of when we would find ourselves staying up for Tri Nations matches involving the All Blacks during the wee hours. Keep yourself informed with the latest in the world of sport – simply register for our push notifications and promptly receive high-quality news, comprehensive analysis, and insightful comments straight to your mobile device.