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“Vengeance is mine; I will repay”– Kieran Read
Ok then, the All Blacks skipper didn’t really say that at all; it’s actually a quote from Romans 12:19 in the New Testament but you get my gist. And anyway, the biblical reference is highly appropriate given that rugby is a national religion in New Zealand and that every Kiwi worships at the altar of the All Blacks and utters daily prayers that the team won’t be beaten.
Maybe some of them forgot to go to church earlier this month because Ireland finally ended a 111-year hoodoo and beat them – albeit in the unlikely setting of Chicago – by 40 points to 29. Or maybe it was simply Irish destiny – and a damn good team to boot. You can read my gut-wretched account from my match day Blog here and, even better, you once more have the chance to win some great prizes in another readers’ competition as the boys in green and the men in black go at it all over again this Saturday in Dublin.
Will it be like London buses – you wait 111 years for one to come along and then a second one arrives straightaway? Or will be it a case of normal service is now resumed?
The Irish have the wind in their sails [and, as Conor Dempsey from Irish communications agency Dempsey Corporate points out, in their last respective outings an Irish team has beaten each of the NZ National 15’s teams: the All Blacks, Maori, Women’s and Under-20’s], the All Blacks an urgent need for redemption. It will be a classic. Which way will it go? Have your say and be in to win some great prizes courtesy of our match day sponsors.
Bernard Walsh of Walsh Whiskey Distillery has once again kindly donated two of the company’s outstanding Irish whiskeys. One is The Irishman 12yo Single Malt; the other the company’s newest expression (besides “Bejeezus we just beat the All Blacks” that is), the Writers Tears Red Head – a beguiling sounding single malt matured solely in Oloroso sherry butts.
We also have three bottles of the superb Tito’s Handmade Vodka (produced in the Lone Star state of Texas, USA), compliments of its duty free specialist, Irishman Barry Geoghegan. Tito’s Handmade Vodka Managing Director International John McDonnell is Boston Irish, and his mother from Connemara.
Dubliner David Spillane, Founder & Owner of Global Travel Retail Sales, is once again offering a beautiful silver fern (New Zealand’s and the All Blacks’ national symbol) piece of Waterford jewellery (David’s company handles the classic Irish brand in travel retail).
Reflecting our Kiwi/Irish joint ownership, The Moodie Davitt Report is again offering 3 bottles of Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Hunter’s was founded by Irishman Ernie Hunter, tragically killed in 1987 in a car accident, since when his widow Jane has done a magnificent job in establishing the company right at the top of the New Zealand wine-making ladder.
What better way for our last competition winner (Bahrain Duty Free Head of Operations Domnick O Reilly) to celebrate the sweet taste of Irish success than biting into The Butlers Chocolate Platinum Collection (not even on shelf yet in duty free) courtesy of the Irish chocolate house’s Sales Director Karl Marnane?
Well, Karl’s kindly repeated the offer, though this time I’m prepared to wager good money that the only soft centre on display will be the Irish defence and that Karl will be shipping his prize off to New Zealand or at least to a member of the Kiwi diaspora around the globe rather than any Irish supporter.
And this time around (courtesy of Adidas at Auckland Airport, and aided and abetted by Auckland Airport General Manager – Retail and All Blacks supporter Richard Barker) we also have an All Blacks jumper (no, not Brodie Retallick) for our winner.
And in big breaking news, Treasury Wine Estates has offered six bottles of its fabulous Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to the winner. Matua was named New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year at the IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition) in London on 16 November.
The wine is as fresh and crisp as a Dublin Autumn morning, with an aftertaste as long, lingering and deeply satisfying as an All Blacks victory on Saturday will be to me. The sweet taste of triumph? Or tasteful consolation in loss? Oh yes folks, what a match this will be.
Both Dermot Davitt (in green below) and I (in black of course) will be there at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this week to ensure the competition runs smoothly.
Thanks to a special bottle courtesy of the Walsh Whiskey Distillery (pictured below) my own Writer’s Tears have just about dried. But will they be flowing again on Saturday. It couldn’t happen again… could it?
The rules of the competition are simple.
To win you must:
- Pick the winning team
- Be the closest entrant on total points differential using both teams’ scores (i.e. if the match ends 45-13 to the All Blacks, and you picked them to win 25-16 you would have a combined differential of 23) takes out the grand prize.
- Be involved with the travel retail industry
- Not be Sir Clive Woodward
Send your prediction by e-mail to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com headed ‘All Blacks v Ireland – redemption or repeat?’ by Saturday 19 November noon Dublin time.
