Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful
Iconic Rugby Pictures: PART 22
World record crowd of 82,208 for club match May 2, 2009
What’s happening here?
It’s May 2, 2009 and reigning champions Munster are playing Leinster in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup at Croke Park where a world record crowd for a club game – 82, 208 – have gathered at the mighty GAA citadel.
During this period, with Lansdowne Road being converted into the present Aviva Stadiam, Croke hosted four seasons of Six Nations games for Ireland but no rugby occasion was bigger than this all- Ireland fight for bragging rights.
What’s the story behind the picture?
Irish rugby was on an all-time high. Less than two months earlier the boys in green had finally fulfilled their obvious potential and claimed a first Ireland Grand Slam in 61 years with the narrowest of wins over Wales in Cardiff. The celebrations were still in full flow. The recession of autumn 2008 had badly wounded the Celtic Tiger economically but on the rugby pitch it was still full steam ahead.
In May 2009 both Munster and Leinster were on fire and one of them was guaranteed a place in the final. For the best part of a decade, however, it had been Munster who had hogged the limelight in Ireland. Two Heineken Cup trophies, two other losing finals and many other epic high profile campaigns. They, in many ways, had become the face of Irish rugby and their passionate supporters were revered around the continent.
In contrast the city slickers from Dublin – historically the great power in Irish rugby – had been consistent under-performers in Europe. Their big budget had not bought them success and some of their big names appeared to play better for Ireland than they did for Leinster.
Although Leinster’s fan base was growing it was not yet as high profile and noisy as the Red Army; they didn’t have their own anthem like Fields of Athenry.
All of this stuck in the craw of Leinster diehards but a significant sea-change was underway.
Under Aussie coach Michael Cheika and captain Leo Cullen – the latter a rock-solid no-nonsense lock who was not distracted by international duties – Leinster were quickly narrowing the gap. They had also made a key one-off signing of Aussie flanker Rocky Elsom who brought some real steel and ruthlessness into their game. In just 21 appearances for Leinster, Elsom became a cult hero.
What happened next?
Leinster bettered Munster in every department to win 25-6 in a game that surpassed almost anything we had witnessed a few months earlier in the 2009 Six Nations. Six of the Munster pack had been selected for the forthcoming Lions tour of South Africa including skipper Paul O’Connell but on the day they found themselves outfought and outmuscled by the Leinster eight.
Leinster, and in particular Elsom, won all the big collisons. Gordon D’Arcy scored a first-half try and after the break Luke Fitzgerald and Brian O’Driscoll also crossed the line, the latter from a 70m sprint after he intercepted a long looping pass from Ronan O’Gara.
It was a magnificent, epochbreaking win, that instantly changed the face of Irish rugby.
It pricked the Munster bubble and, in truth, they have never been quite the same force since while Leinster have gone from strength to strength. This match saw a modern day changing of the guard.
“It gives us mere mortals a glimpse of what it might be like to run on before 82,000 fans”
Why is this picture iconic?.
This is my favourite ‘big stadia’ picture, a startling image which gives us mere mortals just a glimpse of what it might be like to run on and do your stuff in front of 82,000 fans. Writers always talk about towering stands but that really is the case at Croke, an extraordinary stadium and monument to the GAA organisation which proved a fantastic temporary rugby venue.
For decades rugby and GAA would scarcely acknowledge each other’s existence let alone talk to each other and help each other out. It was an unnatural stand-off but gradually, as the Ireland team became more successful and a source of pride to the nation at large, there was a rapprochement. All sorts of divisions healed after the Good Friday agreement in 1998.
First a thaw, then a friendship and, finally, the day in 2004 when the IRU announced they would undertake a long term redevelopment of Lansdowne Road at the end of 2006, Croke was confirmed as the temporary home of Ireland rugby, something which had previously been unthinkable.
A mutually beneficial deal was struck and almost overnight Croke became an iconic rugby venue.
Another point of note here is the huge gathering of the red army. I definitely recall a sizeable Leinster contingent as well but the angle of this shot seems to have captured the red-clad Munster fans in all their glory.
It’s an awesome sight. This was probably their largest ever gathering.
Footnote. Three weeks later Leinster beat Leicester Tigers at Murrayfield to win the Heineken Cup, the start of a run of three titles in four years. They now have four in total and later this season will continue their attempt to win a record fifth European Cup.
