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Ireland in the Five Nations of 1997

By Gary Watton
April 16 2013

The Irish were nothing if not consistent in the latter half of the 1990s in their pursuit of the increasingly elusive Five Nations Championship. Oh and when I say consistent, I mean consistently mediocre. England remained the team to beat. Ireland were all too often the punchbag pour les autres. Only Wales could be relied upon to be even worse than the men in green. Ireland's cause, such as it was, was not helped by the absence of Keith Wood from three matches, on account of a dislocated shoulder. Of some consolation was the emergence of a new wing sensation, Denis Hickie, who proved to have a knack of finishing off tries, as he would demonstrate on numerous occasions in the subsequent decade.

IRELAND 15 FRANCE 32; 18th January; at Lansdowne Road

15 O'Shea 

14 Topping

13 Field

12 Bell

11 Crotty

10 Elwood [5 penalties]

9 Hogan

8 Miller

7 McBride

6 Corkery

5 Davidson

4 Johns

3 Wallace

2 Wood (c)

1 Popplewell

Ireland had held France to 12-12 at the interval, but David Venditti ended the match with a hat-trick of tries to his name.

WALES 25 IRELAND 26; 1st February; at Cardiff Arms Park

15 Staples (c)

14 Hickie [TRY]

13 Field

12 Bell [TRY]

11 Crotty

10 Elwood [3 penalties, conversion]

9 Hogan

8 Miller [TRY]

7 McBride

6 Corkery

5 Davidson

4 Johns

3 Wallace

2 Nesdale

1 Popplewell

Wales fought back from their 20-10 interval arrears, but this was a happy debut for Denis Hickie and Ross Nesdale. 

IRELAND 6 ENGLAND 46; 15th February; at Lansdowne Road

15 Staples (c)

14 Hickie

13 Bell

12 Field

11 Topping

10 Elwood [2 penalties]

9 Hogan

8 Miller

7 McBride

6 Corkery

5 Davidson

4 Johns

3 Wallace

2 Nesdale

1 Popplewell

Jon Sleightholme and Tony Underwood shared four tries between them as England scored 35 second half points!

SCOTLAND 38 IRELAND 10; 1st March; at Murrayfield

15 Staples (c)

14 Hickie [TRY]

13 Field

12 McQuilkin

11 Bell

10 Humphreys [penalty, conversion]

9 O'Meara

8 Cronin

7 McBride

6 Corkery

5 Davidson

4 Johns

3 Wallace

2 Nesdale

1 Flavin

This latest massacre had been deadlocked at 7-7 at half time. Scotland would amass 4 converted tries in the second half.

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Ireland in the Five Nations of 1997
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