HIS TRY, NOR Ireland’s 45-17 win over Romania to open the 2003 World Cup campaign was deemed worthy of YouTube, but Keith Wood remembers it well.
“Aw, easily 90 yards,” he jokes.
What really stands out about the game for Wood, however, were the set-pieces. Before the bonus point win was sealed with tries from the hooker, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan and Victor Costello; Ireland needed to keep energy and focus levels high to keep the second tier at arm’s length in Gosford.
Playing in eastern Australia you expect certain challenges, but as the wind howled off the Broad Water and in to Central Coast Stadium, Wood was presented with conditions more fitting with the west coast of Ireland.
“An hour and a half north of Sydney and there was a 30 mile an hour gale blowing off the sea straight down the field,” Wood exhaled, remembering the frustration.
“It was the hardest game to throw-in – now, I think we won them all, which might be one of the few times I can say that – but it was a crazy, crazy game.”
Particularly in the first game up, the traditional eastern European strength was also to the fore and Wood between Marcus Horan and Reggie Corrigan were allowed no room to build up a head of steam.
“Their scrum was unbelievably good. You’re turning up against one of the minnows of the World game.
“You know you’re going to win and you have to go and show them respect by starting well, playing well, treating them like any other team by going as hard as you can. You realise after two minutes: that could have been just words beforehand, but it actually is reality.
At scrum time, God it was punishing stuff. It was really really tough.”
12 years on, Wood can look back on a job well done in testing conditions. Ireland will take on Romania this Sunday in the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium. In 2003, 19,123 paid in to see them in Gosford. They will surely remember the fantastic captain’s try as well as he does – once the humerous hyperbole had been shed.
“It was a good opportunity,we got in behind the gain-line. A quick, flat pass as you so often get from Peter Stringer. By the time their defensive line had gotten in to position I was already behind them and I ran in pretty much untouched under the posts.
Untouched and unscathed… until he actually attempted to finish like the fliers he had seen on TV.
“I do remember diving… you know the way you see southern hemisphere guys doing it, sliding along the ground?
“I tried to do that and nearly broke my neck doing it. I fell in over on top of myself, it wasn’t aesthetically beautiful as a dive.”
Aesthetics, schmetics: Wood was once more proving himself to be an incredibly effective force before he ploughed under the posts.
