An extended version of the intro to U2′s Where the Streets Have No Name that was played out around the Aviva Stadium before the teams filed onto the pitch on Friday night is par for the course at rugby matches these days.
In South Africa for URC games, the teams also have cheerleaders by the side of the pitch. In the Shark Tank in Durban the north end of the stadium is equipped with a kiddies’ pool with two slides, an open deck space, as well as an undercover area overlooking the main field. Sport is entertainment and the fusion of the two have been long in the making.
With tickets for Friday’s match also retailing at music event prices of €140, fans are not slow to pick up on the similarities between a match between Ireland and the world’s sexiest rugby team, the All Blacks, and a rock concert. They expect to get bang for their buck from the performance, and maybe a feeling of entitlement.
That’s one reason why many spectators began to file out of the ground while the action was still in progress. In a demonstration of having seen enough of the “entertainment” and perhaps deep down knowing that Ireland were not going to be able to play their way back into a winning position, fans voted with their feet and either left the ground or went to purchase drinks to bring back to their seats.
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The movement certainly irritated other fans absorbed by the tactical and technical execution of the scrums, breakdown and staccato flow of the game and who were less concerned about making the experience a night out. But there has been a shift in recent years about expectations from teams and entertainment value and Andy Farrell and his players can take credit for the fact that fans have come to hold this Irish team in high esteem and expect so much from it.
Friday was simply a bad day at the office for Ireland. It was a match that lacked atmosphere for long tracts, with New Zealand content to close Ireland down. As Jordie Barrett and Damian McKenzie sent long raking kicks from the backfield, the All Blacks pack met an Irish pack – that lacked the urgent energy of the World Cup – with enough physicality to keep them tied up in a war of attrition. The potential for a riveting spectacle slowly drained away play by play.
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Although the match did start well with the theatre of the haka respectfully challenged by the bound-together Irish side slowing moving forward towards the New Zealand players, the other ingredients of meltdowns, huge turning points and controversy were not in enough supply to keep those up in the nosebleed seats engaged.
Rugby and sport in general is not immune from growing trends, and across the fan spectrum there are expectations to see more than just the on-field action, with sports consultants telling us there is a demand for “additional wraparound activities and content”.
People who pay for tickets increasingly expect a full-day experience with the central act holding it all together whistle to whistle. But not on Friday.
“We just didn’t fire like we would have hoped today,” said Irish centre Garry Ringrose. “The energy and accuracy wasn’t what was needed,” said Andy Farrell. “Start stop,” the Irish coach continued. “Scrappy,” he added and on top of that the match was played on a dirty night in Dublin.
What was left at the Aviva was a murmuring crowd, many of whom became disengaged and either left the ground early or trotted off to the bar knowing that despite two tries being scored, they were probably going to miss nothing more than another scrum or a penalty. Should they, should they not?
In 2019 when Joe Schmidt was coach, people left a Six Nations game between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium before the final whistle. England won 32-20 and Schmidt said afterwards that he understood the frustration of the fans. Schmidt, too, had raised expectations for his Irish team.
The uptick for Farrell and his players is that they have built themselves into a brand of excellence, the number one team in the world. That gives rise to stratospheric expectations and fans feel entitled to feel that way. Not meeting those expectations means people have a drink or simply walk out of the ground. That’s what they pay for.
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