The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's time to dust off the old Leinster, Munster, Connacht, or Ulster kit and sit in a pub for hours on a Saturday afternoon.  That's right; it's Six Nations time again!  Forget bowl season, forget the superbowl.  None of them compare to the international rugby tournament between England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy.



Friday night, England kicked things off in Cardiff with a victory over Wales.  The last time they won in Cardiff they won the 6 Nations championship.  Needless to say, we were there watching in one of our local pubs.  Megan, a friend of mine from Virginia studying paramilitaries in Irish drama, suggested we head down to Lavery's, which sits just at the base of the Dublin Road and Botanic Avenue.  It's a traditionally more loyalist crowd; so we thought it would be packed with English supporters.  We were disappointed.  The few people watching the match were actually cheering for Wales, ourselves included.  We all subscribe to the Anybody But England or France camp.

Saturday was the big day though, the day when Ireland kicked off its attempt to regain the 6 Nations championship.  When I was here for my M.A. two years ago, Ireland won the championship and the place was electric.  But last year, they faltered.  Unfortunately, the giants of Irish rugby at the moment are getting older; Ronan O'Gara, Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell are still dominant, but the sheer number of injuries on the Irish side point to their increasing age.

We had previously decided to make the Errigle Inn on the Ormeau Road our 6 Nations campsite.  It ended up being a very good decision; they opened the top bar, which is usually a dance club.  There were massive screens and a huge crowd.  Instead of playing the Irish national anthem, Amhran na bhFiann, the Irish side plays Ireland's Call, since the team is a 32 county team, not just the 26 of the Republic.  When the song began in Rome, you could see the players singing along and there was a definite accompaniment in the Errigle.  It was great craic.

Barely beating Italy with a Ronan O'Gara last-minute drop goal does not portend well for our side.  Italy are usually one of the weaker sides in the tournament; that is not to suggest they're not talented because they are.

After the blood pressure-raising Irish match, we stuck around, as did most of the crowd, to watch France absolutely destroy Scotland.  It definitely looks as though it's France's 6 Nations to win.  Their's was the only convincing victory.  But sitting in the pub from 13:30 until 1 definitely made for a good Saturday.  We even avoided a hangover by the grace of an Ulster fry for dinner.  Now the Ulster fry is very similar to a Full Irish breakfast; it includes potato bread, baked beans, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, black pudding, a fried egg, and Irish bacon, which is so much more like pancetta than American bacon.   Then we dandered back toward home, but called in for one more pint at the Hatfield, which is a fairly Republican establishment.

All in all, a very successful 6 Nations opening weekend!