In Focus / Schools Tour of Australia, 1996: Gavin Cummiskey looks back at the most successful Ireland Schools tour of them all and what has happened to the players
Winning the Test match against Australia Schools in 1996 seemed like a formality for the ridiculously gifted touring Irish team. Of course, that was until Jimmy Smyth intervened.
The father of Irish hooker Peter showed his resourcefulness by ensuring the fledgling Ireland's Call was played on the PA system along with Advance Australia Fair immediately before kick-off.
Unfortunately, this fine act of patriotism completely backfired.
"One thing we hadn't prepared for was the national anthems," remembers assistant coach John McClean. "It had a hugely emotional impact on both the players and family members present, especially considering we were 12,000 miles from home. In actual fact, it took away our focus for the first 15 minutes when they crossed for two tries."
Ten years ago there was no precedent for an Irish team to recover from such a desperate start, especially against southern hemisphere opposition. Yet this group were different from anything that had come before, as individual achievements in the professional game have since proved.
Four players who never made the Test side - Peter Stringer, David Quinlan, Simon Best and John Fogarty - are professional players today. The first three were all capped in the last 12 months.
In total, six players went on to play for Ireland at senior grade, while Peter Bracken and Bryn Cunningham haven't given up the ghost yet. It would have been an even greater number if not for an unprecedented injury count.
Early in the second-half Australian captain and outhalf Timothy Walsh slotted another penalty to stretch the lead to 18-8. With future internationals like Phil Waugh and Matt Dunning up front and Lomu-esque winger John Aloua on the rampage, it seemed like a familiar story was unfolding.
Barry Gibney gathered his team-mates around him under the posts. Coach Keith Patton sent word for the pack to simply start reproducing the devastating form of the previous five weeks. The response was epic.
"As a teacher, I still use the experience as a motivational and psychological example," says Patton. "They had breezed through the tour, winning several games easily and scrapping through when they had to, but when we got to the Test, Peter's Dad, Jimmy Smyth, made sure Ireland's Call was played while the players lined up facing their parents.
"It was the end of a long successful tour and the players just dissolved. Emotionally, they just went way over the top. In the first 20 minutes they blitzed us. For the first time ever I saw Peter Smyth miss Bob Casey at a lineout. Bob didn't even get off the ground."
Gradually it turned. Seventeen-year-old Pres Bray winger Cormac Dowling - undoubtedly the find of the tour - started wreaking havoc in open play. At scrumhalf, Ciaran Scally powered over for two tries, while the Belfast winger Johnny Davis crossed for another. Australia replied by setting up camp in Ireland's 22 but with no penalty opportunities on offer, they had to rely on Walsh's drop goal attempts.
"Fourteen minutes from the end we got ourselves two points in front," continues Patton. "It was the longest 14 minutes I have ever experienced in rugby. They placed us under a phenomenal amount of pressure and although no penalties were conceded they were marginally wide with two drop goals. I still remember standing behind the goal watching the last one sail wide," adds McClean.
The Patton/McClean partnership can take plenty of credit for the unbeaten tour but both readily admit they were blessed with some hugely gifted players.
The Blackrock Dream Team had just completed their odyssey of back-to-back senior cups under the captaincy of Gibney. Nine of them were on tour to Australia for the second year running, having been part of the equally successful Leinster squad in 1995, again under Gibney's stewardship.
"We were aware that this was a very special group, having been with them for the Triple Crown success earlier in the year. They proved this by becoming the first Irish team to beat Australian Schools," said Patton.
"It's fairly common for a Bob Casey, Leo Cullen, Peter Bracken or a Simon Best to come through in any one season, but for these players to be together at the same time was remarkable."
The drop-off due to injury cannot be ignored. Were these players over-exposed to rugby at too early an age? They played straight through from September to April for two years, in some cases three years, as well as cramming two tours into the summer months.
Patton noticed improvements when repeating the trick in 2000 with a new batch captained by Gavin Duffy and including Matt McCullough, Denis Leamy, Shane Jennings and Rory Best (by then McClean was director of rugby at UCD).
"Four years into professional rugby they were better conditioned and arrived in better shape. I know I was certainly more experienced. Really though the injuries were just unfortunate, especially Ciaran Scally whose knee injury was tragic stuff."
McClean is slightly more philosophical. "It's just the nature of the game. Rugby is not a contact sport; it is a collision sport. Just look at Johnny Wilkinson. Players' careers used to stretch into their 30s but not any more.
"There is no doubt about it, injury has denied Irish rugby some seriously talented players."
