Ireland’s butchered national anthem goes viral
If Ireland’s performance against Italy is like their rendition of the national anthem, this Six Nations will be blown wide open.
As far as renditions of any national anthem go, they do not get any more disorganised than Ireland’s at the Stadio Olimpico in round three of the Guinness Six Nations against Italy. It basically looked like a group of 23 men making up a song as they went along while a band played whatever they wanted.
To be fair to the players, it was the band that let them down as it was the most lethargic performance the Ireland players would have ever hand. The national anthem has been much discussed online since.
If the Italian team can do half as well at slowing Andy Farrell’s side down as the band did, they might stand half a chance against the tournament favourites.
Watch the anthem here:
It’s Ireland’s Call, but not as we know it. After an *ahem* interesting down-tempo rendition in Rome the action is underway.
📺 Watch on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer: https://t.co/UW8C8YbtZD
📱 Live updates: https://t.co/yrkfeBilea pic.twitter.com/nqCYRnm41C
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) February 25, 2023
Italy XV
15 Ange Capuozzo
14 Edoardo Padovani
13 Juan Ignacio Brex
12 Tommaso Menoncello
11 Pierre Bruno
10 Paolo Garbisi
9 Stephen Varney
1 Danilo Fischetti
2 Giacomo Nicotera
3 Simone Ferrari
4 Niccolo Cannone
5 Federico Ruzza
6 Sebastian Negri
7 Michele Lamaro
8 Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements
16 Luca Bigi
17 Federico Zani
18 Marco Riccioni
19 Edoardo Iachizzi
20 Giovanni Pettinelli
21 Alessandro Fusco
22 Luca Morisi
23 Tommaso Allan
Ireland XV
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 27 caps
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 11 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 43 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 17 caps
10. Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps
9. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 9 caps
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 19 caps
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 29 caps
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 70 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps (c)
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 25 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 35
Replacements
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 14 caps
17. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 50 caps
18. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 6 caps
19. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 8 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 91 caps caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 102 caps
22. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) 2 caps
23. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 11 caps
