THE PLANE WAS approaching the runway. Anna Patten and the other passengers on the flight from Manchester to Dublin were being jolted about the place. It was a bumpy to say the least amid Storm Ashley, which can lead to some existential thoughts.
Let It All Work Out by Lil Wayne was blaring in the Ireland international’s ears.
“We came down, nope . . . straight back up, circled.
“Not great, did not enjoy it. I don’t like flying. I had my music playing loudly and was just trying to be like, ‘You’re fine.’”
I never change, you know I been this bitch
And then she said, ‘Let it all work out.’
Let it all work out, yeah.
Patten was en route for international duty on Sunday, a two-to-three hour delay on the runway in Manchester compounding her travel woe, but she eventually made it to Ireland camp ahead of this week’s Euro 2025 play-off first leg against Georgia.
Her journey was smoother than many of her team-mates’, with delays and cancellations impacting arrivals, but the squad travelled seamlessly to Tbilisi on Tuesday by charter flight.
Eileen Gleeson’s side face the European minnows on Friday evening, before a rematch in Dublin next Tuesday. The winners progress to final doubler-header play-off against Wales or Slovakia later this year, with Ireland the overwhelming favourites to clear this first hurdle.
They hammered Georgia 20-0 on aggregate in 2023 World Cup qualifying, while 94 places separate them in the Fifa World Rankings.
“We are all coming in knowing they are two must-win fixtures,” Patten, who has featured in all six games since her debut in April, says.
“That’s all we can look at. Previous results don’t matter. They are going to be willing to get to the Euros as much as us. We’ve got to be really ready for these games and not take them lightly.
“We need not to get frustrated. The opportunities will come. We have the forwards who are very capable of finishing the game off. Patience is a big word for us. Two games mean we can learn from the first game and grow, but hopefully we hit the ground running.”
It will be a “different shift” to the so-called Group of Death against France, England and Sweden, which they finished on a high with a monumental 3-1 win over the former at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in July.
“The France result showed everything we learned over the fixtures,” Aston Villa defender Patten continues. “Just being without the ball and learning to accept that pressure. And how we can defend in those scenarios as a team, and when we do regain the ball being really efficient.
“There are connections growing on the pitch and everyone is understanding each other’s roles. We can take confidence from beating France and take it forward.”
Onwards on their journey to qualify for their first-ever European Championships in Switzerland next summer.
“It’s a massive target. It’s really hard because you try your best not to look ahead but at Villa we had to do IDPs [Individual Development Plans] for the season and I made that one of my goals.
“It’s something I want to do this season. Since the last camp we know it is something we want to achieve.”
Patten’s Swiss team-mate at Villa, Noelle Maritz, has further whet the appetite. “I was just talking to her about what the buzz around the Euros is like, and she was saying there is stuff up already and all the tickets are already sold out,” she concludes.
“It is sounding like an unbelievable tournament. We really want to be part of that.”
Will it all work out? Here’s hoping.
Surely only a matter of time now before it’s BT Thomond Park, BT Ravenhill, etc…
Only a matter of time too before they buy the full premier league package. Next we will see croke park renamed sky sports croke park arena.
If you are going to rename your stadium I guess keeping the original name and sticking the letters BT before is probably the least offensive option….
I’d nearly sponsor the Edinburgh team to not play their home games in Murrayfield! Absolutely dead atmosphere which takes away from the games played there! I can’t explain why it annoys me so much but it does!!
Yea, should be played in a much smaller venue.
Good news for the rabo, we need the Scottish union to be financially secure and able to finance two quality teams to the league to keep things competitive. There’s even talk of a third Scottish club opening in Aberdeen, which would be great.
I don’t care about stadium naming rights,but this nauseating ‘Sponsor X’s values and ethics really align with our own’ PR bullshit is just the worst kind of nonsense.
There was an article in the times last November saying BT were in advanced negotiations with the Irish provinces too over forms of sponsorship like shirts etc. the welsh & Scottish BT deals were mentioned in the sane article. Will be interesting to see if there is an announcement in this regard in the coming weeks.
BT Thomand park?? They can BT feck off!!
Great news for Scottish rugby and for the Pro12 to have the finances to keep Glasgow competitive and help to improve Edinburgh. I just hope the long term knock on effect isn’t the devaluing of the Pro12 brand to SKY Sports if/ when it comes time to review the broadcasting agreement, as potentially SKY money could be the making or breaking of the league when it comes to competing with the English and French equivalents.
Fair play to them, I never understand some of the negativity about naming rights. Like when Musgrave park was renamed Irish Independent park the paper got slated rather than praised for supporting the game
I’d prefer Sky across the Leinster jersey than a bankrupt state owned Bank!