We saw the best and worst of Sky Sports tonight. On Sky Sports 1, two weeks of incessant Red Monday hype culminated in Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United. Over on Sky Sports 5, however, Sky's stirring celebration of the life of Anthony Foley reached its apex when the 2006 Heineken Cup final was replayed. That amazing May afternoon in Cardiff - when thousands, nay millions, lined O'Connell Street in Limerick to cheer Munster on - is one of the great days of Irish sport and the defining day in the legendary career of Anthony Foley
How could you be asked to choose between Foley and Liverpool-United? Our own editor Mick McCarthy felt conflicted early on.
Want to watch L'pool/Utd but Munster Biarritz 2006 on Sky Sports 5 & I can't turn it off. What a team that was. And what a leader #RIPAxel
— Michael McCarthy (@McCarthyMick) October 17, 2016
It turned out to be the right decision. Mick was not the only Irish person who opted to spend the evening returning to that amazing Saturday afternoon in Cardiff rather than view the dull events at Anfield. Many of them share their emotions on social media.
Incredible that a match from 10 years ago would be so emotional..but passion of #Munster players & fans from 2006 Final was unreal #RIPAxel pic.twitter.com/ilERx7f9z4
— Des Cahill (@sportsdes) October 17, 2016
Just watching the replay of Munster's 2006 Final on SS5. Truly a game to encapsulate what made that team & #AnthonyFoley great. #family #rip pic.twitter.com/LbTarIWqJT
— PSAAcademies (@PSAAcademies) October 17, 2016
Just watched 06 heineken final that munster team was unreal the whole match easy forget how good some of them were. #Axel
— walter power (@wallyguv) October 17, 2016
The Heineken cup final of 2006 has the best atmosphere I've ever seen! Glad that sky replayed it, Foley epitomised what Munster are about 🏉
— Ross Jones (@RossJones14) October 17, 2016
Watching Munster's finest moment for such sad reasons is heartbreaking #Munster #RIPAxel #heinekenCupFinal06
— Marie (@marieeharnett) October 17, 2016
Just watched a repeat of the 2006 Heineken cup final - Munster v Biarritz - awesome rugby.
Anthony Foley - a Munster legend— Phil Hearne (@FalklandFisher) October 17, 2016
"Foley's decision to go for the corner IN-SPIRED!!" - Stuart Barnes' 10 year old commentary bringing another tear to the eye #RIPAxel
— Michael McCarthy (@McCarthyMick) October 17, 2016
Scenes! The emotion on the pitch and the noise in the stadium was just unreal. I don't think we'll ever see rugby mean as much as this again
— Michael McCarthy (@McCarthyMick) October 17, 2016
Many of the massive figures from that Munster team remembered that incredible day in the documentary Axel.
