Ireland’s men in green are daring to dream that after waiting 111 years to defeat New Zealand they can make it twice in two weeks in Dublin on Saturday
Not many sequels manage to outdo a famous original. You can make a decent cinematic argument that Mad Max, The French Connection, Kill Bill and Toy Story were all superior at the second time of asking but the list is relatively short. Difficult second album syndrome is a frequent musical issue and, where New Zealand rugby is concerned, double-whammy defeats to the same opponents are on the rare side of occasional.
What chance, then, of Ireland improving this weekend on their remarkable Chicago coup early this month when they defeated New Zealand for the first time in 111 years of trying? The two sides were always due to reconvene at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday but no one ever envisaged these circumstances. Two Irish wins over the All Blacks inside a fortnight? That really would prompt a stampede back to Toners and O’Donoghue’s and all the other hospitable pubs of Dublin’s south side.
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