Ireland's Rugby World Cup pool stage win over South Africa on Saturday was historic for a multitude of reasons.
Not only was it Ireland's first World Cup win over the Boks, it was only the second win ever for a Six Nations side against South Africa in a Rugby World Cup, and it cemented Ireland's place as the #1 team in the world rankings.
It had arguably surpassed the opener between France and New Zealand as the headline game of this World Cup, and it did not disappoint, with Ireland grinding out a win in dramatic fashion at the Stade de France.
The scenes after the final whistle were full of emotion, with the Irish crowd belting out 'Zombie' by the Cranberries - not that that has gone without its own controversy - in an electric atmosphere in Paris.
In truth, the emotion of the game had been building from minute one, with Peter O'Mahony giving a rousing speech to his Ireland teammates ahead of kick-off which was captured by the World Rugby cameras.
23 September 2023; Tadhg Furlong of Ireland, left, Peter O’Mahony, centre, and Iain Henderson celebrate a scrum penalty during the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland at Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
However, the clip has since been deleted on social media, and ex-Scotland lock Jim Hamilton claimed on the Rugby Pod this week that it was an IRFU request which resulted in the video being pulled.
Hamilton and his compatriots on the podcast went on to bemoan not only that decision, but the general lack of access to the Irish team during the World Cup thus far.
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Ireland Rugby: Jim Hamilton bemoans IRFU call to pull Peter O'Mahony video
Speaking on this week's episode of The Rugby Pod, Scotsman Jim Hamilton bemoaned the alleged request from the IRFU to pull a video which showed Peter O'Mahony swearing at his teammates in a motivational pre-match speech ahead of Ireland v South Africa:
It's a real shame, actually. RugbyPass, World Rugby, Rugby World Cup - they're all joined together now. We had this amazing clip of Ireland in the huddle. It was Peter O'Mahony shouting "EFFIN' THIS! EFFIN' THAT!"
It's been taken down now. They wanted it taken down. I thought it was amazing, showcased the emotion, literally took you into the huddle on the pitch before the game.
They're doing it their way. Maybe they've got people behind the scenes filming stuff, but it is a shame.
Hamilton's comments came after he said that there was simply "no access" to the Irish team thus far in the Rugby World Cup, and the rest of the Rugby Pod team agreed with him.
Former England international Andy Goode alongside Hamilton chimed in with his own disappointment with the access to Irish players, saying that they had reached out to a few players via social media messages to invite them onto the podcast, but to no avail:
We have good relationships with a lot of the Irish boys - Johnny Sexton being one, and a load of the others. We get on well with them, they're all great lads.
There is a bit of a complaint coming in now.
It's the only downside with Irish rugby at the minute, in terms of access to interviews, one-on-ones, getting to know the lads a bit more.
Maybe it is that whole thing around keeping it within the family of the rugby team itself and the squad, and not letting there be any distractions.
It is a massive shame that there will be no access to individual interviews, because the soundbites would be brilliant, and they're all level-headed guys. They're not going to come and say anything ridiculous that's going to pump up other people or other players or other countries, are they?
It is a little disappointing, but I am still a massive Ireland fan.
Hamilton and co. have conducted several interviews with Irish players in the past - perhaps most memorably when Hamilton and Mack Hansen made a tattoo bet during the Six Nations based on the outcome of the clash between Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh.
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It is worth noting that, though there have not been any interviews with Ireland players on the Rugby Pod during the World Cup, the presence of any current players on the podcast has been scant, with only two current Six Nations players joining the team since their World Cup series began.
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