My name is Gerry McLoughlin. I used to be a rugby star. Some called me "Locky", others "Ginger". No one called me a coward. A long time ago I played for Munster against the All Blacks. What happened that day can never happen again. The only man who believed we could win was Tom Kiernan, our coach. He could make you believe no team was unbeatable, not even the All Blacks. He said we had the chance to make history.'When Graham Mourie's touring party set out from New Zealand in 1978, few gave their opposition a chance. The All Blacks took the northern hemisphere by storm; it seemed no team could stand in their way. But one did. Not the Wales of J P R Williams or a star-studded Barbarians' XV, but an unrated provincial side from the south of Ireland coached by a man named Tom Kiernan- Munster.More than 100,000 people claim to have seen Munster beat the All Blacks at Thomond Park, Limerick, even though the ground could only hold 12,000. Now Alan English sets out the real story of that day in October 1978, through the eyes of those who were there and those who made it happen. The day Munster beat the All Blacks has long since passed into legend, yet the truth is more compelling than fiction.

Author Biography

Alan English was born in Limerick in 1965. He began his career at the Limerick Leader and is now sports editor for the Sunday Times in Ireland. In 1999 he edited the bestselling Sunday Times Sporting Century. His most recent book, Munster- Our Road to Glory, was published in 2006 to huge acclaim. He lives in Limerick with his wife and three children.