It was supposed to be a weekend of glorious celebration. Leinster’s march to a fifth Heineken Champions’ Cup, in front of a home crowd, was to have been followed by the triumphal return to Dublin of Katie Taylor.
Both were long odds on favourites and Leinster in particular made it look easy racing to a 17 point lead in the opening minutes.
But the wonder of sport is that it is never a foregone conclusion. If it were played without any jeopardy at all then what would the fun in that.
Leinster were reeled back in, just like against Munster last week, and La Rochelle themselves 12 months ago. It was tetchy, there were mistakes across the pitch but in the end Leinster’s final drive for a winning try, or at worst a scorable penalty, came unstuck with a foul only two metres from the French line.
The harbour at La Rochelle erupted with delight, Ronan O’Gara punched the air before getting soaked in a TV interview with Jaqui Hurley and Leinster fans were left to wonder about how the perfect season of two weeks ago had resulted in two defeats when it mattered most.
So it was over the Liffey to the 3 Arena and the ring walk of Ireland’s favourite sporting icon. The place was at fever pitch, only to be tempered a little by the subdued accompanying music. Elevation Worship doesn’t have quite the same visceral Irish appeal as the Chieftains or Sinéad O’Connor belting out the Foggy Dew.
Then there was Chantelle Cameron, no mug her, and fighting at her more natural weight just looking a bit bigger, a bit more conditioned and a bit more hydrated than our Katie.
To anyone who has an ounce of boxing knowledge, this was not going to end well. Even Taylor’s plaits were heading for the exit but that’s sport. No guarantees and it was a brave move to take on a serious contender at a different weight to make the Dublin dream come true.
The rematch clause and calls were a way of applying balm to the bruises of our expectation and there will be another day. It was a reminder though that nothing lasts forever and sport can be a brutal way of learning that lesson.
Even in Gaelic Games, Kerry were beaten in Killarney and Limerick’s hopes of remaining in the Munster Championship are hanging by a fraying rope if not a thread with one week left to play. Joanne Cantwell landed a few punches on Donal Óg Cusack on the Sunday Game, before allowing him back off the ropes to reflect on the great work he had done for all players down the years.
And then there was the positive upset with Ireland beating England in Women’s Water Polo, by 11-10, to become the Home Nations Champions.
Sure you have to look deeper into the sports news to find the joy this Monday morning, but find it you will, and nobody died in any of the disappointments.
