THE IRISH Ambassador to Britain Bobby McDonagh gave lots of speeches during St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
In each of his speeches over the last week, McDonagh, a serious sporting fan, mused that Owen Farrell, the England fly-half, must have some links with Ireland.
If so, they counted for little. Farrell was in an unforgiving mood, kicking six penalties and one conversion during England’s trouncing of the Irish visitors.
Spilling out of Twickenham railway station hours earlier, the Irish hordes – their numbers boosted by recently arrived emigrants – had come in hope of a famous victory.
Statistics favoured the Irish since they had beaten the English in seven of their last eight Six Nations encounters – but a poor away record urged caution.
In the first pub on the London Road heading towards the stadium, rugby fans downed pints under banners for Help For Heroes, the charity aiding injured British military personnel. Inside the stadium a military theme continued, with the Royal Marines offering a rappelling demonstration from the West Stand roof.
Fans were allowed to carry up to four pints of beer in a cardboard pack to their seats. Some congratulated a Welsh steward on Wales’s earlier Grand Slam victory.
The announcer called on people to stand as the Twickenham brass band readied to play Ireland’s Call. “It’s not our bloody anthem,” growled one spectator.
After the game got under way, there were early signs the Irish scrum was in for a horrible afternoon. Seven minutes in, English international Ben Foden, whose Irish fiancee Una Healy of The Saturdays gave birth to a daughter last week, got his first touch.
The Foden/Healy household was full of travelling Irish, he said yesterday. “They all came to the match, so I will be able to gloat a little bit and watch a replay of the game today.”
The chorus of Swing Low Sweet Chariot filled the stadium intermittently, while the Irish responded with The Fields of Athenry, but it was rarely more than half-hearted.
Prince Harry watched from the stands with his hand to his mouth at times, although there were few grounds for him to be concerned. By the end he had none at all after the repeated disintegration of the Irish pack in the face of a thunderous English onslaught.
Later, in the dressing rooms, the English players donned black ties for the customary post-match dinner, where they were joined by James Bond star Daniel Craig.
“It was a special way to finish what has been a hugely satisfactory finish to the Six Nations Championship and an emotional week,” Foden said.
