With the clock yet to strike nine on Saturday night, Croke Park’s ground team was already in action with mops and pails. The turf will see action again on the coming Friday and Saturday for the GAA’s forthcoming drive to address the problems of Gaelic football, which means the field required a thorough cleaning. Surely, the pitch does not need the blurred old rugby tracings to complicate the fresh lines etched for the agenda by Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee (FRC).
Indeed, the interprovincial football matches scheduled for the next weekend are significant, but they cannot rival this experience. Croke Park vibrated with energy all night, the match concluded practically the moment the audience of 80,468 had found their seats. Those involved were aware that this was not a routine outing.
Leo Cullen later remarked, “What an extraordinary day it was, as an event.” He added, “We highly value the audience turnout. It’s incredible how meaningful that is. From distinguishing the game’s anticipation, it appears that people are embracing this as a spectacle. However, it seemed to transcend a typical round-four URC match, didn’t it? But the players from both sides fulfilled the expectations.”
Leinster started precisely as they planned, which was evident even during the pre-match formalities. The proceedings experienced an annoying interruption due to a man wearing a Viking helmet who was excessively hyping the nearly sold-out event. Fortunately, a swift tackle from the man dressed as Leo the Lion silenced him, providing a welcome reprieve, regardless of whether it was planned or not.
Graham Rowntree summed up the sentiment of Croke Park: “I’ve been to stadia all over the world. This one I hadn’t visited before. Wow,” he shared, emphasizing Leinster’s impressive lineout dominance, risk-reward gameplay, and their stellar performance against Munster. He also highlighted Ulster’s nail-biting victory over Connacht in Belfast.
Given the circumstances, the night was complete in itself, and certainly didn’t require the flair of a circus performance. This early encounter in the secondary club rugby competition involved two top-performing teams, the positions of which would only drastically change if their fortune took a severe blow towards the season’s end in May. Surprisingly, an impressive 80,468 enthusiastic supporters filled the venue.
This scenario, however perplexing it might seem, could be interpreted as a testament to the historic rivalry between the teams. Though, one could also say it was merely an enjoyable night in town due to the clear, nippy, and dry weather. What else, after all, would you choose to do?
The participating teams, as is the custom for those visiting Croker, heaped praises on the venue and expressed their gratitude to the organisers profusely.
Cullen found the experience rather unique, stating “Merely driving across town to enter the stadium feels nothing short of magical. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be able to play here.”
The atmosphere was further amplified by Munster fans who crowded the ground, creating a joyful row during the warm-up. “This greatly enhances your experience,” he added, “making it a very special event indeed.”
The aforementioned sentiment applied to both the triumphant as well as the defeated. After the match, a rather bruised Calvin Nash, as much from an invalidated early try as from the physical gruelling of the game, despite his disappointment, acknowledged the significance of the event and place.
“Absolutely, we were all extremely thrilled about this match given the historic significance of the venue. However, we’ve been left a bit deflated,” he admitted, “primarily because we believe that the start of the game was not in our favour. Consequently, we found ourselves lagging behind throughout the match, which isn’t ideal. But it was indeed a significant event. We’re immensely grateful and feel privileged to be a part of it.”
On occasion, the effusiveness can become a bit much, notably when teams from different sports appear to be excessively appreciative for playing at Croke Park, overly expressing their thanks so as not to offend. However, when you take a step back and consider the words of Graham Rowntree, a rugged and pragmatic figure who has seen many a pitch, you cannot help but capitulate. It was indeed a fierce evening at an astounding venue.
“We set out to perform,” enunciated the coach of Munster at the conclusion of the match. “We showed spirit. We did falter with our precision at moments, but I felt we paid due respect to the event. We arrived thoroughly prepared. It was indeed a significant event.
“I can’t with certainty say that those gentlemen will participate in a club match with such massive spectators in a stadium of such magnificence. I have travelled globally visiting various stadiums, but this one was new to my list. Astonishing. Truly, astonishing. It is indeed regrettable we are departing without a victory under our belts.”