By LI Bohemian
March 21 2016
Landed in NY on the Friday before the match, met up with the rest of my LI mates and some state side friends coming to their first rugby game, and had a good night out.
The next morning we got some yellow cabs to the meeting place down town called Becketts Bar, where we all watched both Ireland and England get positive results. Then had to catch the train to the game via Wall Street stock exchange and then the ground zero memorial at the newly finished World trade centre station. The transport on the day did remind me of a Twickenham event on a smaller scale, the stadium was a similar size and appearance to the Madstad and the drinks although easier to obtain weere for once more expensive. The mixture of fans was 1/3 Irish 1/3 Saracens 1/3 American neutrals I think.
The game started out quite tight and controlled for Irish at least and with an early TMO shout for Irish but a foot was in touch, a penalty was then converted by Tonks, then Irish proceeded to give away the softest of tries with Saracens not even out of third gear. After that Irish seem to stir themselves for what was there best play of the match with a well worked try by Lewington coupled with a penalty, the score was 13-7 at half time, this was better than I was expecting and yet again hopes were raised, but that's really as good as it got, Irish conspired to throw away it all by, in the first part of the second half, bad discipline, and the final quarter with tired clueless unprofessional play, eg passing to Saracens, taking the ball in a static position and to cap it off kicking the ball when it was never on and when all was required was to hang on to possession for 2 mins, to at least get a bonus losing point. I did feel sorry for Lewy who gave his all, if the rest had played to his standards Irish would have won.
After the game the victorious Saracens team clapped the fans on my side of the pitch (east stand) whilst the Irish team had a huddle but then stayed over at the west stand.
I'm over it now though, thanks
View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.