1. ‘Inches’ – Tony D’Amato, Any Given Sunday.
Let’s get this one out of the way nice and early. Because we know it’s the first one that came into your mind and ours when this subject was mentioned.
“I can’t do it for you, I’m too old.”Says D’amato to his hardy group of footballers. It’s not hard to put those words from Al Pacino’s mouth into an actual real-life Italian, Giovanni Trapattoni.
“We tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch.”
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2. ‘We will not go quietly into the night’ - President Thomas J Whitmore, Independence Day.
Up against a seemingly invincible force with vastly superior weapons, perhaps this is the one to trot out before the Spanish game. Lets just change the date mentioned ‘July 4′ to June 14.
‘The largest aerial battle in the history of mankind’, indeed.
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3. ‘They may take our lives’ – William Wallace, Braveheart.
Remember when Mel Gibson was famous? He brought us this tour-de-force as William Wallace. The character is comparable to Richard Dunne in that his deeds have been exaggerated slightly over time, but his bravery and commitment cannot be questioned.
Again, just a syallable’s worth of dubbing required to replace ‘Scot’ with ‘Ire’. It begins after 1.15.
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4. ‘Defeat will not be forgiven.’ – Tommy Carcetti - The Wire.
Rather than getting mad as hell the future mayor decides to attack the problems head on. There may be greater underlying problems in the Baltimore system that Aidan Gillen’s character has overlooked, but it is an inspiring address from the councilman and it begins around 1.20.
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5. ‘But it is not this day’ – Aragorn, Return of the King.
“I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me.”
When so much hard work has already been done: we stand, unaware of how events elsewhere will decide our faith. This is definitley one to be shouted out before we play Italy. And in a competition when Ireland travel to Europe’s east, the battle cry of; ‘Stand, men of the West’ might just strike a chord too.
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6. ‘Manic aggression’ – Paul O’Connell, Croke Park.
In times of need, the great warriors step forth: Wallace, Aragorn, Hercules, O’Connell. With the skipper out injured, Paulie fills the gap and then some after 20 seconds.
‘On your feet!’
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7. ‘We don’t want the bad guys to win’ – Fozzy, The Great Muppet Caper.
When the going gets tough, when the whole squad is panicking and looking ready to cower and back down. Sometimes, it takes a fresh voice to waken up the troops, sometimes it takes a bear like Fozzy to inspire the bravery in each and every one of us.
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Or we could always just try this.
