Long-shot Irish galloper Holy Orders carries the hopes of Ireland into tomorrow’s Melbourne Cup, the horse race that stops the host nation.
Likewise, the Keith Wood led Ireland team is doing its best to take home their own silverwar, starting with Sunday’s quarter final showdown with France at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.
But Ireland will be hoping for a better preparation than the Willie Mullins trained galloper who refused to run at Melbourne’s Sandown track last week, finally breaking into a gallop on Saturday evening with Irish jockey Davey Condon on board.
Double Down Under
Asked if it was possible Ireland could pull off a remarkable double Down Under Ireland Team Media Liaison Officer John Redmond said: “First things first. We do hope the Melbourne Cup does come back to Ireland.
“We do hope that Holy Orders does win and all our hopes and our ambitions are for him. After that we’ll try and do a double.”
It was clearly evident on Saturday night that neither Ireland nor Australia wanted to play sudden death football against Les Bleus, who have thrown off their dark horse tag after slipping through the pool stages untroubled.
Home town support
But having drawn the short straw, the Irish have vowed to make the most of their chance and could be excused for thinking they are playing at Lansdowne Road given the support they have generated down under.
"We have incredible support. There are people talking of coming out from Ireland for this game," Coach Eddie O’Sullivan said ahead of his side’s quarter final showdown with France on Sunday.
"The whole country has gone crazy at home. The support in Melbourne was incredible and it was a 'doozy' of a game from anybody's angle.
"I knew we wouldn't be supported by Australians playing Australia, but I always felt that support when we're playing anybody else. Next week we'll need it and the gauntlet's down for the boys to put in another big one.''