Before Saturday’s second Rugby World Cup semi-final among the memes doing the rounds was one depicting a car perched precariously atop two gateposts; another car against a wall – sideways – trapped behind two poles; and a large horse standing halfway through a gate, a closed one.
The other element of the four-image montage highlighted the presence of England in that match, against World Cup-holders South Africa.
The caption/ headline was: ‘Do you ever look at stuff and wonder how it got there?’
That was posted in a WhatsApp group of friends from home by the one living in England and married to an Englishwoman, with the one son still living at home being a rabid England rugby supporter. So, obviously, that pal of mine was the most opposed to the England rugby team among us, even though that’s a highly competitive category.
To be fair, that wasn’t just a biased, anti-English viewpoint, but one based on their actual performances, and the lower-ranked teams they had got past to reach the semi-finals.
A pool that included Argentina, Japan, Samoa, and tournament debutants Chile. Then Fiji in the quarter-finals – and England rode their luck getting past them.
The pre-match perception was that the English had limped, lumbered, and lucked out in somehow getting into the last four.
Still, some nagging doubt/ fear stopped me sending that joke on to a group of English mates from my university days. Which was just as well…
Whether they’d benefitted from their softer passage and/or they’d been indulging in ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics beforehand in the tournament,
[ England were a transformed team.Opens in new window ]
Indeed, against a lethargic-looking South Africa, the men in white were the better side, on the pitch and on the scoreboard, for almost all the match.
Almost.
No one sensible would write off the Boks, the true ‘mentality monsters’ of sport, and – as they had done in the quarter-final against hosts France – they once again eked out a one-point victory.
It took a controversial scrum penalty call and a huge kick from replacement out half Handre Pollard (who was only at this World Cup after being called up for injured hooker Malcolm Marx…).
Pollard being the man to kick the Springboks to victories over both France and England is another reminder of the uncertainty and unpredictability of sport.
On Sunday I was at the
[ Fermanagh SFC Final.Opens in new window ]
Even though I’d written in the preview that “nothing is guaranteed in Fermanagh football any more”, I still sat there for most of the match thinking that favourites Derrygonnelly were going to win fairly comfortably against Erne Gaels, despite the Harps being reduced to 14 men in the first half.
Slowly, though, the Belleek men chipped away at Derrygonnelly’s lead until, with the hour almost over, I turned to a colleague in the press box and asked in some bewilderment, ‘How is this a one-point game?!’
Derrygonnelly then seemed to get a sealing score – only for Ultan Kelm of Erne Gaels to rifle in an unstoppable shot…which beat the Harps goalkeeper but rattled back off the crossbar and away.
Had Kelm’s shot dipped a few inches lower and gone into the net a win for the Belleek club would have been portrayed as a triumph of patience and clever, well-timed substitutions, as they sent on forwards to take advantage of space opening up.
Instead, a turnover allowed Derrygonnelly captain Shane McGullion to race clear into an empty half of the pitch and settle it with a goal to the unguarded Erne Gaels net.
Truly remarkable, unforgettable moments.
Then again, Derrygonnelly had scored 3-2 without reply in the last seven or eight minutes of their Fermanagh semi-final, so we shouldn’t have been at all surprised.
Of course there will always be mis-matches and foregone conclusions, especially at the earlier stages of competitions, but sometimes too towards ‘the business end’.
The chance of drama is what always draws us back to sport, though.
Looking forward, we’ve had the draw for the 2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship. Although, legitimately,
[ there are increasing questions about how much importanceOpens in new window ]
counties should attach to the provincial championship, it will still be keenly anticipated.
Most will favour this year’s beaten finalists Armagh to see off Fermanagh – but that game will be at Brewster Park, and strange things can happen there. Similarly, Down will be expected to beat Antrim in Newry, but the Saffrons will still fancy themselves to cause a shock.
The preliminary round is the ancient derby of Monaghan and Cavan. As always, that could go either way. Tyrone, who await the winners in the quarter-finals, would presumably prefer to meet the Breffni Blues, given their excellent Championship record against Cavan – and the bother Monaghan have caused them, including a smash-and-grab victory at Healy Park earlier this year. Then again, sport being sport, perhaps it could be Cavan’s turn to get one over the Red Hands?
The definite big one is the confirmed pairing of back-to-back champions Derry and their neighbours Donegal, both under very intriguing new management.
In his time in charge of Tyrone new Derry boss Mickey Harte had a few big battles against Donegal under the management of Jim McGuinness, who has returned to the helm of his native county.
McGuinness has already, obviously, understandably, been talking up Derry’s qualities, and how they’re levels above Donegal. However, we all know that Jim’s a man who can effect rapid improvement.
Just as we all ‘know’ that Harte will surely lead Derry into a semi-final confrontation with Tyrone…
