Tearful Wood sensed it would be special day
Former Ireland captain Keith Wood – four times on the losing side against New Zealand during his playing career– hasn’t the slightest doubt that Ireland’s determination to honour Anthony Foley played a huge part in their extraordinary win over New Zealand.
Wood, best friends with Foley from schooldays in Killaloe, played a big role in organising Foley’s funeral and was also a coffin bearer on the day itself. Last week, with no TV commentary duties, he took himself off to Chicago to watch the All Blacks game as a punter and sensed something special was afoot from the off.
“Ever since Anthony’s passing you could sense a fantastic unity and togetherness in Irish rugby. On the day of the funeral all the players arrived on buses from all over Ireland – Leinster, Ulster and Connacht as well as Munster – there were 20 of the 25 Ireland Schools squad that he captained back in 1990.
“First and foremost it was the funeral of a much-loved friend but it was also a massive, emotive, coming together of Irish rugby, albeit in horrendous circumstances. And when you experience something like that, as a sportsman, there is a pretty urgent need to get out there and express yourself and perform like never before.
“We saw how all that emotion was channelled the day after the funeral in the European game between Munster and Glasgow and now it was Ireland’s turn. I knew for certain Ireland would produce something special but even I was astounded by how special they were.”
Come matchday in Chicago and New Zealand, perhaps not realising the sensitivities of what had been going on in Ireland during the previous three weeks, opted for the ultra-aggressive throat slitting Kapa O Pango haka ahead of the game, a decision which drew criticism from many.
Former All Black prop Craig Dowd didn’t mince his words afterwards arguing it was disrespectful and the more ceremonial Ka
Mate should have been used. Wood, right, however, insists that Ireland were in a world of their own and the choice of haka was of no consequence.
“I’d been tipped off about the No.8 tribute confronting the haka. It sounded a wonderful, appropriate gesture but I wasn’t sure how it would play out. My fear was that officialdom would be tempted to intervene and break it up. The protocol when facing the haka seems a bit random and it was absolutely not the occasion for any controversy or ill feeling. Come the moment it was perfect. Simple, beautiful and very powerful.
“In essence it was all about Ireland respecting Anthony, and on the touchline, I was moved to tears again. It had been a desperate three weeks and nothing can ever change that but the intention was purely to honour the man. What it also did, however, was to completely take the haka out of proceedings. The moment became all about Anthony and Ireland, not New Zealand and the haka.
“And it was clearly inspirational. Everybody in the team found a new level with some shaking off recent injury problems or patchy form. I felt Jonny Sexton was going through a rough patch last season, not helped by injury mind, and hadn’t been himself for a while on or off the field. Suddenly it was the Jonny we all know bossing and running the game beautifully.
“Conor Murray was off the scale, one of the greatest individual performances I have ever witnessed by an Ireland player, and Robbie Henshaw wasn’t far behind. He was a complete beast in every department. When he went over at the end I’m pretty sure I dislocated the shoulder of the guy next to me as a I leapt from my seat and came back to earth with a crash. Belated apologies for that if you happen to be reading this.”
“In 80-odd minutes of rugby I can remember perhaps two mistakes or unforced errors from Ireland. The truth is that on the day we took New Zealand on and beat them at their own game.
“The challenge now, of course, is to repeat that level of performance on a regular basis. Against New Zealand in the second Test and then against Australia and then into the Six Nations.
“Ireland hadn’t played at that level before and the guys I suspect didn’t know if they could aspire to it for 80 minutes against the world’s best. Well now they know for sure and once you take that element of fear and the unknown away you can start replicating these things”