GATTY DISHES OUT THE PAIN…
MUNSTER GET STUNG
2004: It is still regarded as the greatest European Cup match ever played. Munster were smack bang in the middle of their quest for the holy grail phase and, after a succession of near misses, this was the year it was supposed to happen. Wasps were something of a surprise package, they had not even qualified for the European Cup the season before and had come through an easy pool containing Celtic Warriors and Calvisano. The fact that the ‘neutral’ semi-final was to be played on Irish turf in Lansdowne Road added to the sense of confidence that Munster would set up the final everybody wanted to see against Toulouse (who had pipped Munster at the semi-final stage the year before). Gatland had other ideas. It was his first return to IRFU HQ since his heave-ho three years previously and, with the green blazer brigade looking on, the Kiwi oversaw a Wasps masterclass in a contest of relentless drama. A few weeks later, he outfoxed Toulouse in Twickenham to land Wasps their first European title.
READY, EDDIE, GO…
2008: Following the unmitigated disaster that was the 2007 World Cup, Eddie O’Sullivan’s tenure as Ireland head coach was hanging by a thread — regardless of the fouryear contract extension he had signed just prior to the tournament in France. It was clear the fight had gone out of his Ireland project as the team failed to impress in wins over poor Italy and Scotland teams and in defeat away to a bang average French side before Gatland brought Wales to Croke Park in round four. There was a lot of hype about the G at land O’ Sullivan showdown but the Kiwi won the coaching contest hands down — with Ireland failing to score a try and Wales’ clever tactics securing a seminal 16-12 win, courtesy of a brilliantly executed try by Shane Williams. Gatland went on to land the Grand Slam for Wales in his first season in charge.
THE WELLINGTON BOOT
2011: Of all the disappointing days Gatland has doled out to Irish rugby since being dumped by the IRFU, this was by far the worst. Having been written off at home going into the New Zealand World Cup, Declan Kidney’s Ireland were having a brilliant tournament, highlighted by the epic win over a much-fancied Australia side in Auckland. Meanwhile, Wales had travelled to the quarter-finals largely under the radar and with Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell et al operating at peak performance, few expected the Welsh to interrupt Ireland’s progress to an historic first World Cup semi-final. However, on a tempestuous night in windy Wellington, Gatland unleashed a defensive masterplan that stymied Ireland’s offensive aspirations at source and it was taxi to the airport time for Kidney and his men.
THE ‘FERRIS STEAL’
2012: Another Grand Slam season for Wales but it would never have gotten off the ground if Ireland had not dropped the ball first up in Dublin. Johnny Sexton had an inconsistent day with the boot but Ireland were still leading 21-20 going into the final few seconds when star flanker Stephen Ferris was dubiously penalised and sin-binned (he was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing). Leigh Halfpenny nailed the resultant kick for a memorable win and it was more delight for Gatland at the expense of the Irish.
LEGEND OF THE FALL
2013: There is no suggestion that the dropping of Brian O’Driscoll (below) for the third Lions Test against Australia was motivated by any antiIrish bias but Lions coach Gatland was definitely unprepared for the vicious backlash that followed. While there was logic to restoring his established Welsh centre partnership of Jon Davies and Jamie Roberts for the series decider, it was certainly harsh on the Irish icon, who had been performing well, and a sad way to end his storied Lions career.
THE SLAM BUSTER
2015: People tend to forget about Ireland’s 2015 campaign. It was Joe Schmidt’s second season in charge and the Kiwi’s forensic methods were starting to properly bed in. After comfortably seeing off the Italians in Rome, Ireland took out the big two France and England — at home and the Grand Slam looked on as they head into round four in Cardiff, with a lot of pre-match focus centring on Paul O’Connell winning his 100th cap for his country. Gatland devised a plan to thwart Schmidt’s set-play ambitions and Ireland’s only touchdown came from a penalty try as the Welsh secured a 23-16 victory. The Slam dream was crushed and Ireland’s rout of Scotland in their final outing proved to be scant consolation.
PETER PANNED
2017: The dropping of Peter O’Mahony from the match-day squad after the first Lions test against New Zealand in 2017 elicited nothing like the vitriol the O’Driscoll axing had four years previously, but it was still a kick in the guts for Irish rugby. That O’Mahony had been named captain for the first Test and was then cut completely — even allowing for Sam Warburton’s return to fitness -— was hard to take, especially as the first Test only got away from the Lions after O’Mahony was substituted. It created a negative image of O’Mahony’s Lions experience that was wholly unjustified.