46 years ago today

[enby]

14 March 1970
Ireland hammered the legendary Welsh side 14-0 (18-0 in today's scoring values) at Lansdowne Rd. It was the match that confirmed me, aged 9, as a rugby fan. I wasn't at it but I did see it on TV and I must have recreated the 2 tries by Alan Duggan and especially Ken Goodall a million times in my back garden. There was a superb photo in the paper of Duggan diving over the line looking for all the world like Superman flying and with the fans in the old goal line seats going mental. I would love to see it again if anyone has a link to it.

Footage (with George Hook alert) to be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAY1AOuIB7Q

Not exactly ironclad defending on display but nice clean scrums and one helluva try from Goodall

[FrankBurke]

Last game Ken Goodall played for Ireland? A real loss.

[enby]

Sadly it was his last. I think he was 19 when he was first capped. What a player. Sadly he died in his late 50s some years ago.

[FrankBurke]

I saw the game on tv too. It made such an impact on an eleven year-old. Until then I thought Wales were unbeatable.

Great game.

[Ruckedtobits]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

[Grumpy Old Man]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

Don't want to be too pedantic but Robbie McGrath had left a year or two before. That schools cup final was my first time in LR.

A few years later, in a 5 nations game, Newbridge had 4 past pupils in the backline, Quinn, McGrath, Tom Grace and Freddie McLennan. Not bad going for a small school.

[BarryP]

Not all in the back line, but didn't Newbridge have four ex-students get game time recently enough? Birch, Tony Buckley, Geordan Murphy and Jamie Heaslip. Think it was against France a few years ago

[Ruckedtobits]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

Don't want to be too pedantic but Robbie McGrath had left a year or two before. That schools cup final was my first time in LR.

A few years later, in a 5 nations game, Newbridge had 4 past pupils in the backline, Quinn, McGrath, Tom Grace and Freddie McLennan. Not bad going for a small school.

Think not. Leinster web-site has Newbridge as cup winners in 1970 v Blackrock and I heard Mick Quinn recounting a story years later about himself and Robbie McGrath in schools cup final. Grace is older and Freddie McLennon about the same age as McGrath.

[enby]

McLennan was a classy old fashioned winger. Quite light but with a great sidestep and a real nose for the line. Did he emigrate to SA?

[Grumpy Old Man]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

Don't want to be too pedantic but Robbie McGrath had left a year or two before. That schools cup final was my first time in LR.

A few years later, in a 5 nations game, Newbridge had 4 past pupils in the backline, Quinn, McGrath, Tom Grace and Freddie McLennan. Not bad going for a small school.

Think not. Leinster web-site has Newbridge as cup winners in 1970 v Blackrock and I heard Mick Quinn recounting a story years later about himself and Robbie McGrath in schools cup final. Grace is older and Freddie McLennon about the same age as McGrath.

Right, *rolls up sleeves*



Note P Bowe in the back row, father of Tommy, who my dog is named after, but that's a different story!

[artaneboy]

I saw the game on tv too. It made such an impact on an eleven year-old. Until then I thought Wales were unbeatable.

Great game.

Me too.... old timer 'Men's Shed' stuff here- so just excuse our nostalgia young people. It was the first time I watched the Five Nations season as a fan- and played every move in the garden afterward. Alan Duggan was the 'Man' that year, scoring tries for fun. The defeat by Wales was soul destroying- and unfortunately repeated all too regularly throughout the 70's. But we kept coming back for more and every now and again the improbable became reality. That's the beauty of sport- especially rugby.

[Hippo]

A fantastic match, though for some reason I had no schoolboy ticket, having become a regular attender a couple of years before. The nil was particularly satisfying, my dad went on about that for years.

I'd take issue though with the rosy memory of Fred Cogley and Jim Sherwin; they were very poor and unfortunately indicative of a trend in RTE for dreadful rugby commentators that persists to this day.

[Fireworks]

I was born just after this so can not throw in any memories but I do remember my Dad telling me about it. I believe there was something great about the game back then and all the way up to the late 80's which has been lost in the pro era. I still love the game but it is different. If anyone finds that picture of the flying Duggan try I would love to see it and get a copy if possible. Does anyone remember what publication it was in.

[All Blacks nil]

IRELAND
15 Tom Kiernan, (c)
14 Alan Duggan, 13 Barry Bresnihan, 12 Mike Gibson, 11 William Brown,
10 Barry McGann, 9 Roger Young,

1 Syd Millar, 2 Ken Kennedy, 3 Philo O'Callaghan,
4 Mick Molloy, 5 Willie-John McBride,
6 Ronnie Lamont, 7 Fergus Slattery, 8 Ken Goodall,

WALES

15 JPR Williams,
14 Stuart Watkins, 13 John Dawes, 12 Billy Raybould 11 Keith Hughes,
10 Barry John, 9 Gareth Edwards, (c)

1 Denzil Williams, 2 Jeff Young, 3 Barry Llewelyn,
4 Geoff Evans, 5 Delme Thomas,
6 Dai Morris, 7 Dennis Hughes, 8 Mervyn Davies,

[Sionnach]

Note P Bowe in the back row, father of Tommy, who my dog is named after, but that's a different story!

Please tell me you call him in from the garden with Ryle Nugent style enthusiasm.

[the spoofer]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

Don't want to be too pedantic but Robbie McGrath had left a year or two before. That schools cup final was my first time in LR.

A few years later, in a 5 nations game, Newbridge had 4 past pupils in the backline, Quinn, McGrath, Tom Grace and Freddie McLennan. Not bad going for a small school.

I think they had something similar in more recent years with Heaslip, Murphy, Buckley and Jackman all on at the same time.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Note P Bowe in the back row, father of Tommy, who my dog is named after, but that's a different story!

Please tell me you call him in from the garden with Ryle Nugent style enthusiasm.

Initially yes. After he ignores me for five minutes the enthusiasm drops to George Hook levels.

[Grumpy Old Man]

I was there as a nipper in the old schoolboy section at Lansdowne Road end. Saw the tries on TV later (think BBC had it in colour!). Goodall was the hero to every back-row kid in Ireland....and then he went off to Rugby League, was it Workington, certainly not one of the fashionable Clubs, and missed a possible Lions tour to New Zealand in 1971.

Great Irish team at that stage. Great Welsh team also and they won trophies regularly, but the Triple Crown was the main trophy. A Grand Slam was rarely mentioned. Columnists were people associated with Communism and Fred Cogley or Jim Sherwin were poor relations to the great Bill McClaren but both decent commentators. Edmund van Esbeck had just replaced Paul McWeeney as main Irish Times rugby writer. Newbridge won School Senior Cup a couple of days later with two future Irish half-backs, Mick Quinn and Robbie McGrath.

Plus sa change!

Don't want to be too pedantic but Robbie McGrath had left a year or two before. That schools cup final was my first time in LR.

A few years later, in a 5 nations game, Newbridge had 4 past pupils in the backline, Quinn, McGrath, Tom Grace and Freddie McLennan. Not bad going for a small school.

I think they had something similar in more recent years with Heaslip, Murphy, Buckley and Jackman all on at the same time.

Yep, as BarryP notes above.

[enby]

IRELAND
15 Tom Kiernan, (c)
14 Alan Duggan, 13 Barry Bresnihan, 12 Mike Gibson, 11 William Brown,
10 Barry McGann, 9 Roger Young,

1 Syd Millar, 2 Ken Kennedy, 3 Philo O'Callaghan,
4 Mick Molloy, 5 Willie-John McBride,
6 Ronnie Lamont, 7 Fergus Slattery, 8 Ken Goodall,

WALES

15 JPR Williams,
14 Stuart Watkins, 13 John Dawes, 12 Billy Raybould 11 Keith Hughes,
10 Barry John, 9 Gareth Edwards, (c)

1 Denzil Williams, 2 Jeff Young, 3 Barry Llewelyn,
4 Geoff Evans, 5 Delme Thomas,
6 Dai Morris, 7 Dennis Hughes, 8 Mervyn Davies,

That was a seriously good pack we put out that day. Slatts in his first season and Ronnie Lamont, who had played in all 4 tests for Lions in NZ 1966, in his final season. Goodall is widely regarded as the best Irish player to have gone to League and would in all probability have made the Lions on their triumphant tours of 71 and 74. Willie John and Mick Molloy formed a top class second row while the front row was as hard a unit as any that we ever turned out.