Alone it Stands
Encyclopedia
Alone It Stands is a play by John Breen
that tells the story of the 1978 rugby union
match at Thomond Park
between Irish provincial side Munster
and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks
. The title derives from the fact that Munster's 12-0 victory in the match remains the only time any Irish team, national or otherwise, have ever beaten the All Blacks.
A multitude of different stories interlink to convey the hype and, indeed, nervousness running up to and during the big match. Stories of birth, tragedy and building bonfires prevail, as the play charts the personal tales of various characters and their whereabouts on the momentous day.
In the play six actors play 62 roles including the Munster team, the Kiwis, the two coaches, the ref, the crowd, the press, a pregnant woman, several children, a dog and even the ball itself.
John Breen
John Breen is a playwright from Limerick, Ireland. He is famous for his play Alone it Stands which tells the tale of Munster Rugby Team's legendary victory over New Zealand's mighty All Blacks in Thomond Park, Limerick in 1978...
that tells the story of the 1978 rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
match at Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
between Irish provincial side Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. The title derives from the fact that Munster's 12-0 victory in the match remains the only time any Irish team, national or otherwise, have ever beaten the All Blacks.
A multitude of different stories interlink to convey the hype and, indeed, nervousness running up to and during the big match. Stories of birth, tragedy and building bonfires prevail, as the play charts the personal tales of various characters and their whereabouts on the momentous day.
In the play six actors play 62 roles including the Munster team, the Kiwis, the two coaches, the ref, the crowd, the press, a pregnant woman, several children, a dog and even the ball itself.