Rarely can watching Ireland play rugby have been such a sobering experience. Coffee and breakfast rolls were, literally, the order of the day at the The Outback, an Australian bar in Dublin, where about 30 enthusiasts gathered to watch yesterday's make-or-break match against Argentina. Chris Dooley reports.
In keeping with the licensing laws, alcohol was not being served until midday. However for some people, there is no substitute for the pub as a venue for watching big games - even those that kick off at 7.30 a.m. on a Sunday.
Indeed, most of The Outback's customers were so excited at the prospect of the match that they forgot to adjust their clocks to winter time. "There were people banging on the door at 6.30 shouting 'quick, quick, put the match on'," said Mr Geoff Waddell, co-owner of the venue, on Parnell Street. "We brought them in and gave them coffee while we got the place ready."
By kick-off an international gathering had assembled in the bar, with Ireland, Argentina, England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand among the countries represented.
Ironically, the customer with the most Irish surname of the lot was sporting the famous blue and white jersey of Ireland's opponents. As half-time arrived, Mr Diego Murphy (26), an Argentinian of Irish descent, was confident of victory. His side were a point down, but had been the better team. "I'm happy with the performance, but I think we're a bit unlucky because we have dominated the play."
Mr Chris Folliard (21), from Knock, Co Mayo, thought the heat was getting to the Irish team. "They're all over the place when it comes to the scrums."
So what had brought him to the pub at such an unearthly hour? "I'm in Dublin on work experience and I'm staying in a hostel, but there's a much better atmosphere in the pub."
As the match headed for its nail-biting finale, the atmosphere was to grow ever more tense. The final whistle brought devastation for Diego and his six Argentinian friends. "It's a shame. It could have gone to either team. But I'm happy that we showed we can play good, open rugby."
Mr Aidan England, from Kildare, was just relieved that Ireland had scraped through. "You don't want to be doing this too often. You'd be likely to have a heart attack."
The Argentinian ambassador to Ireland, Mr Marcelo Huergo, watched the match at home in Dublin with his family.
"We suffered together, right until the last minute," he said."I thought it was a very good game, and a fair game all round. Ireland were able to exploit some mistakes by the Argentinian team, and they were especially strong in the line-out."
A former rugby player himself, Mr Huergo said Ireland would now have Argentina's support. "I would prefer to lose to the Irish than any other team."
At The Outback, meanwhile, Mr Waddell is preparing for a busier morning when Ireland meet Australia next Saturday at the more convenient time of 9.30 a.m.
"We're showing every match live, and we've been getting big crowds in for the matches involving southern hemisphere teams in particular. Next weekend will be a big one."
As an Australian has he any fears that Ireland might cause an upset? "No," he replies with a smile, "not at all."
Perhaps next time it's the Australians who'll have a sobering experience.