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‘an-i-seo-an-fhoireann-rugbai-is-fearr-a-bhi-againn-riamh?’

‘An í seo an fhoireann rugbaí is fearr a bhí againn riamh?’

| jeff neville | ,

Beidh deis ag Éirinn an Chaithréim Mhór a bhaint amach den cheathrú huair Dé Sathairn agus tá lucht leanúna na hÉireann ag feitheamh go foighneach leis an gcluiche. Tá go leor cainte á déanamh i ngach ceaintín oibre agus gach grúpa WhatsApp faoin gcluiche stairiúil seo atá le teacht.

An í seo an fhoireann rugbaí is fearr a bhí againn riamh? Tá an chuid is mó dúinn ró-óg le caint faoin bhfoireann a bhuaigh an Chaithréim Mhór in 1948. Ní hamháin sin ach is cluiche difriúil é anois. Is cuimhin linn an cluiche in aghaidh na Breataine Bige in 2009 nuair a chiceáil O’Gara an preabchúl a bhuaigh an cluiche agus an Chaithréim Mhór d’Éirinn. Agus is dóigh gur cuimhin linn an cluiche in Twickenham in 2018 nuair a bhuaigh Éire an duais mhór in aghaidh Shasana. An lá sin, ba iad an dara foireann riamh a bhuaigh Caithréim Mhór á bhuí le bua i Sasana.

Ach féach ar an bhfoireann atá againn faoi láthair. Is í an fhoireann is fearr ar domhan. Bhuaigh siad sraith sa Nua-Shéalainn. Bhí an cluiche in aghaidh na hAlban ar cheann de na cluichí is dúshlánaí a bhuaigh Éire le fada mar gheall ar ar tharla sa chéad leath. Agus iad ag dul i dtreo an Choirn Dhomhanda i mbliana, is é an príomhchuspóir atá acu ná é a bhuachan. Agus tá an tallann agus an taithí acu chun é a dhéanamh. Teastaíonn beagán áidh freisin ag an am céanna, cinnte.

Ní fhaca mé éileamh ticéad mar seo le fada. Roimh an gcomórtas, bhí daoine áirithe ag rá go mbeidís sásta an chraobh seo a chur ar leataobh, chun é a úsáid chun rudaí a thriail agus imreoirí nua a thabhairt isteach. Ach anois, le cluiche amháin le dul, níl na ráitis seo le cloisteáil níos mó.

Ach ní oibríonn spórt proifisiúnta mar sin. Is nós é a bheith ag buachan. Ba thriail de shórt é an comórtas seo don Chorn Domhanda agus tá sé ag oibriú amach go maith do Andy Farrell agus a fhoireann. Bhí cúig chluiche le himirt agus le buachan sa chomórtas seo; tá ar a laghad seacht gcluiche le buachan sa Chorn Domhanda (ocht gcinn san iomlán). Bhí ar Éirinn déileáil le fisiciúlacht in aghaidh na Fraince. Bhí deis ag imreoirí eile in aghaidh na hIodáile. Bhí go leor dúshlán acu in aghaidh na hAlban. Anois, tá brú orthu an rud iomlán a bhuachan in aghaidh Shasana. Is comórtas trialach foirfe é seo don Chorn Domhanda agus tá orthu an lámh in uachtar a fháil Dé Sathairn chun an chéad chloch chora a shroicheadh.

Bhí a fhios ag Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann go raibh an cluiche seo ag tarlú le fada. Cén fáth nach ndearnadh plean teagmhais leis an gCumann Lúthchleas Gael an cluiche a bhogadh i gcás Caithréim Mhór? Bheidís in ann thart ar 30,000 ticéad sa bhreis a chur ar fáil agus dhéanfadh an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael brabús maith ón gcluiche freisin. Ag imirt in aghaidh Sasana sa bhaile don Chaithréim Mór an lá i ndiaidh Lá Fhéile Pádraig? Líonfaidís Páirc an Chrócaigh faoi dó. Ach tuigim an cás. Is í an staid Aviva an pháirc bhaile. Imrítear na cluichí bhaile ann. Nílim ach ag rá go bhfuil ábhar comhrá ann.

Ag an am céanna, táim ag súil go mór leis an gcluiche seo. Ní thagann cluichí mar seo timpeall go minic. Má chuireann tú an Chaithréim Mhór ar leataobh fiú tá go leor rudaí suimiúla faoi freisin. Tá seans ag Johnny Sexton a bheith mar príomhscórálaí an chomórtais (is dóigh go ndéanfaidh sé é agus é ar chomhscór le Ronan O’Gara faoi láthair). Bhuaigh Andrew Porter Caithréim Mhór mar fhrapa cinn theannta in 2018; tá deis aige ceann a bhuachan anois mar fhrapa cinn scaoilte, rud nach dtarlaíonn ach go fíorannamh. Ní raibh Stuart McCloskey ag fáil na ndeiseanna a bhí tuillte aige ar feadh na mblianta; anois tá seans aige Caithréim Mhór a bhuachan.

I mo thuairimse pearsanta féin, caithfidh Éire an cluiche seo a bhuachan. Tá brú orthu é sin a dhéanamh, cinnte, ach beidh i bhfad níos mó brú orthu sa Chorn Domhanda i gceann sé mhí. Caithfidh siad dul i ngleic leis an mbrú sin agus teacht amach go buacach ar an taobh eile de. Óna rudaí a chonaiceamar ón bhfoireann seo cheanna féin, tá an cumas sin acu.

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