November 18th 2008

30 years ago, they came they played, they lost…. Now they’re coming back, “they” of course being a certain rugby team that dress in black.. The news rumoured for some time was confirmed today when it was announced that the All Blacks are coming to Limerick to play the red army in their new extended house. The fixture follows an invitation from the Irish Rugby Football Union to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Irish province’s famed victory over the All Blacks and to officially open a renovated Thomond Park.

“Munster has a proud history including their famous 1978 victory and a European Rugby Cup final this season,” said New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew. “We are delighted to be part of another chapter that also has commercial benefit for both teams. One of our aims is to find additional revenue to support the game in New Zealand. As rugby people, we’re glad to see it take the shape of a mid-week match.”

Munster Chief Executive Garrett Fitzgerald said: “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate such an auspicious occasion than for Munster to play one of the top ranked teams in the world in our own stadium. We are honoured they have accepted our invitation to help us open the new Thomond Park and we are looking forward to a fixture that has already captured the imagination of the public at large. We would like to thank the NZRU and IRFU for their efforts in bringing negotiations to a successful conclusion.”

The Munster match is the final addition to the 2008 end-of-year tour schedule. It brings the number of matches to six as the team plays Australia in Hong Kong on the way to Europe before Tests against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and then England.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm and is filed under All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Squid

The subject seems to have gone off the match and on to each poster. Enough is enough. Thread closed.

Fintan Stack

pat, you appear to be getting more red faced than anyone. You keep harping on the fact that the match was thirty years ago. It was one of the most historic days for Munster rugby. We will still be talking about it in another 30 years. Remember our national team have to this day failed to achieve what Munster in '78.

You appear to be having difficulty with the concept of what Munster Rugby means to a lot of people. You come across a very bitter man judging by your snide remarks on this thread. You keep making references to "the local pub" You sound like that red faced bore you talk about.

You would fit in well on the Leinster forum, I lifted a quote from that site on said topic. Im sure you can relate :)

"Despite what some turnips think, the AB'd didnt 'pick' to play Munster - its a promotional game for Adidas"

You have not backed up your opening statement either...in fact Hoof helped you out on that one :) You are making yourself out to be an idiot pat it doesnt have to be said by anyone else.

Pat Johnston

Shan,

"I didn’t realise i joined a debating society! " ho ho ho,....what wit.

Yes Shan there is a debating aspect to this blog. Always has been.

When you first line of response is to call people idiots and then repeat it in later postings, then you diminish yourself .

This and your talk about high blood pressure over a rugby footnote of thirty years ago gives the impression of a red faced bore at some pub.

To be honest I have become a little bored with this this conversation. But if you want to keep shouting about this historic footnote I will reply.

Please thought, take my advice & get a hobby. This match happened over thirty years ago and outside of people like yourself is only a footnote to rugby history. Surely something interesting has happended in your life since then :-)

shan

I didn't realise i joined a debating society! But there's me still waiting patiently for Pat to enlighten us all with his reasoning behind his statement.

BockTheRobber

Fintan: "You obviously know F all about rugby."

Smooth. I bet you charm all around you.

Just remind me: did they win the World Cup, being the top team in the world and all that? I wouldn't have that information, knowing F all about rugby, as I do.

Pat Johnston

Shane, .

To be fair though...getting livid about a match of thirty years ago ???.

"you know the story when inaccuracies are printed about rugby sides the blood pressure tends to get a bit high."

Talk about being an anorak. Hign blood pressure over thirty year old match! Is it just this match that you are obcessive about? I'd hate to drink in your local. Do you find the bar just clears around you?

Seriously though, for your own sake get some hobbies.

shan

Sorry there Squid you know the story when inaccuracies are printed about rugby sides the blood pressure tends to get a bit high.
@ Pat you practice what you preach and back up your claims that an under par NZ Team beat Munster in '78. Since this statement came from your good self . From what i see posted here from Hoof (great job) you'd want to be an idiot alright to make a statement like yours.

pat

True for you Squid.

Talk of the "great win of 78" has assumed the status of religious orthodoxy amoung many of our fellow citizens.

I don't wish to be burned at the stake :-)

Squid

People are starting to get a bit ratty with each other on this thread, I suggest you calm down all of you.

pat

Shane, Are you capable of backing up your claims or does your debating skill simply consist of calling people "idiots".

As regards being "livid" over comments made about a rugby match held 30 years ago I can only imaging that you do not have much to trouble you.

Hoof

Starkie, they won 19 out of 20 games. If that's bad going in your book, then thank fuck I don't work for you!

Compared to the last major tour in 72/73 (to Ireland/UK/France) : Played 30 : Won 23 Drew 2 Lost 5 (result v. Munster 3-3 , must have sent out the ballboys that day too, eh).

Since then they have played a small number of tours in the 80's & 90's but with the inception of the World Cup that has mainly been against other International sides.

Another lesser well known stat: neither the IRFU team a.k.a. Irelandscall, the amazing entity that is Leinster or star-studded Ulster have ever beaten the All Blacks.

Hoof

Pat.

You might want to do a bit of research before trying to go a Wumming attempt here about rugby.

http://stats.allblacks.com/tou...

Just to help you out here is the All Black side that played Munster:
All Blacks v. Munster 1978
15C. J. Currie - replaced by McKechnie
14S. S. Wilson
11 B. G. Williams
13 B. J. Robertson
12 W. M. Osborne
10 O. D. Bruce
9 D. S. Loveridge
8 G. A. Seear
7 L. M. Rutledge
5 F. J. Oliver
4 A. M. Haden
6 G. N. K. Mourie (C)
3 W. K. Te P. Bush
2 A. G. Dalton
1 B. R. Johnstone

....and now the team who played Wales on that Tour, 9 of whom played in Thomond Park :
All Blacks v. Wales 1978
15B. J. McKechnie
14S. S. Wilson
11 B. G. Williams
13 B. J. Robertson - replaced by Osborne
12 J. L. Jaffray
10 E. J. Dunn
9 M. W. Donaldson
8 A. A. McGregor
7 G. N. K. Mourie (C)
5 A. M. Haden
4 F. J. Oliver
6 W. G. Graham
3 G. A. Knight
2 J. E. Black
1 B. R. Johnstone

...or the Barbarians end-of Tour fixture against the best of Britain & Ireland to cap one of the most successful New Zealand Tours in AB history 12 players who faced Munster took part in that pretigious game.

All Blacks v. Barbarians 1978
15 B. J. McKechnie
14 S. S. Wilson
11 B. G. Williams
13 B. J. Robertson
12 W. M. Osborne
10 E. J. Dunn
9 D. S. Loveridge
8 J. K. Fleming
7 G. N. K. Mourie (C)
5 F. J. Oliver
4 A. M. Haden
6 L. M. Rutledge
3 B. R. Johnstone - replaced by Ashworth
2 A. G. Dalton
1 G. A. Knight

You can check out the Tour details and feel free to come back with your theory on what constitutes a "Dirt-tracker" team. Graham Mourie certainly didn't think the team they put out in Thomond Park was one, perhaps you disagree.

starkie

the all blacks side that lost to mubster in 1978 were not the best all blacks team .

shan

Well said Hoof an International Team with no anthem or flag is a disgrace. Fintan I hope you have your moron filter up and running for the amount of idiotic posts from 'know-it-all' that's about to follow. New Zealanders live and breathe rugby (much like the people of Limerick and through out Munster) to insinuate that an under par team lost to Munster in '78 is just lubricious I'm livid.

shan

@ Pat
"lets hope the All Blacks bring their first team this time round"
What does that mean ? That the historic victory in '78 is to be overshadowed by the views of an idiot. Are you making little of that win or are you just looking for a rise , idiot.

Gary

Well I know Bock knows plenty about rugby… no worries there...

I just thought Fitzgeralds statement could've been better. I was reading the statement in NZ papers and I though he should have gone for "the biggest name in rugby" or something like that.
Rather than basically calling them just another "top-ranked" team…

But I'm sure Fitzgerald played a good part in getting this fixture on, and fair play to him and the IRFU (but probably more so to Adidas)

Anyway, great news for the city!

Hoof

Let the international team with no flag and anthem pick from the superstars of Leinster and Ulster (and we can throw in a few who didn't get more than 40 minutes in the prestigious Thomond Park match). ffs they're (the IRFU team) playing them twice during the summer in NZ anyway.

RoryK

I think the first match to be played in the new ground will be Ireland vs Canada in the autumn.

Fintan Stack

"Are you saying they’re not one of the top-ranked teams in the world?"

You obviously know F all about rugby. Gary pretty much summed it up. The Kiwis are not just another top international side. There are the greatest rugby nation on the planet. They are passionate about their rugby very Munster-esque. They have consistently been the best team in the world for over a decade yet little to show for it. They have only one world cup to their name since 1987 akin to Munsters one H Cup despite being the most consistant team in the competition along with Toulouse, although that may be about to change:)

I would love nothing better than a full strength Munster team to take them on. In fact it would be an insult to put out anything less. And it doesnt matter what team the AB put out because they dont have a B team. More like 3 'A' teams :)

Astro

I agree with Gary, the all blacks are not just any top ranked team. And it probably will be a second string Munster team. Pity.

BockTheRobber

Are you saying they're not one of the top-ranked teams in the world?

Gary

" Munster Chief Executive Garrett Fitzgerald said: "I can’t think of a better way to celebrate such an auspicious occasion than for Munster to play one of the top ranked teams in the world in our own stadium." "

"One of the top ranked teams in the world" !!
This is a very strange way of putting it. I'm sure the All Blacks are impressed. The All Blacks are not just another international rugby team. They are not the same as Australia or South Africa. Munster has beaten those countries too, but it's not the same thing. There are no books, songs or plays about the time Munster beat Australia in 1992.

The All Blacks are a unique, historic, legendary sports team. Just thought Fitzgerald should've reflected this in his statement.

tippryan

Photo below of the post i placed up some months back..

http://www.limerickblogger.org...

pat

Lets hope the all Blacks bring their first team this time around.

Gary

This is great news.

Just one thing that might put a dampener on this game...
It's going to be on the Tuesday before Ireland play the All Blanks at Croke Park on the following Saturday. So it probably means that it'll be a second string Munster team, with the Irish first-team players unlikely to play.

Wonder could the IRFU give priority to Munster just on this one-off occasion? Unlikely though.

Hoof

Donnie, just on archiseek and seems normal. link here to forum.

http://www.archiseek.com/conte...

john

Hopefully the All Blacks will visit Limerick and play in Thomond park. The stadium looks incredible and makes the GAA grounds look like a cow shed. Well done the IRFU!

Hoof

Can't wait to see the stadium completed. Looks fantastic even during construction, a credit to all involved in providing such a world class facility. Presume there will be a few games played there prior to the official opening v. the AB's.

This is a great honour considering New Zealand are not playing any other club side in Europe.

Shannaboley

sorry, got too excited did'nt notice.

donniedarko

Totally unrelated but does anyone know what happened to the archiseek.com website?Does it have something to do with renewing the domain name?
Forgive me for my technological ignorance...

Squid

Would it be November 18 2008 by any chance?

Shannaboley

do you have a date for that match?

donniedarko

Great that they're coming back-looking forward to seeing Thomond Park finished.

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November 18th 2008