It takes two baby, it takes two..ooo, to make a dream come true.
World sporting bodies toss out individual awards like confetti, each year, and team accolades have also become the norm. There has yet to be a prize invented, however, to celebrate one of sport’s great happenings – the partnership.
Great sporting duos cannot be easily bracketed. Some are kindred spirits, others are from opposite sides of the track yet find a common goal, while others may loathe each other away from their sporting pursuits yet team up to devastating effect.
Here are 10 of our favourite sporting partnerships.
Mick McCarthy and Kevin Moran
The Barnsley lad and the former Dublin GAA star were the rock at the back of Jack Charlton’s Irish defence at Euro 88 and Italia 90. Gave away goals over their bloodied bodies and revelled in depositing balls into Row Z. So solid at the centre of Ireland’s defence that Big Jack was able to push Paul McGrath into midfield.
Colm Cooper and Kieran Donaghy
The archetypal big man, little wizard combination, Gooch and Star have eight All-Ireland winners’ medals and 11 All-Stars to their name. Teamed up again, last summer, to claim Sam Maguire.
Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer
The Cork boys played 13 seasons together for Munster and Ireland and, between them, won a league title, two Heineken Cups, three Triple Crowns and a Grand Slam. Not close away from rugby yet they cannot speak highly enough of each other and their terrific partnership.
Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish
Edging out Liverpool’s other great strikeforce [no, not Emile Heskey and Sean Dundee] by weight of sheer goals and class. While Kevin Keegan and John Toshack had the big-man-little-man charm, the Scot and the Welshman were a heady mix of evasion, deft touches and a keen eye for goal.
Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean
10 years after enchanting the world with their ‘6.0’s across the board’, gold medal win at the 1984 Winter Olympics, the ice skating team returned to challenge for that top podium spot in Lillehammer. They finished second but were lauded nonetheless and added to their sporting legacy.
Gordon D’Arcy and Brian O’Driscoll
The world record centre partnership and a shed-load of memorable games, and amazing moments, for Leinster. D’Arcy revelled in his water-carrier role for the enigmatic O’Driscoll.
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole
For two glorious seasons, the Manchester United strikers were the most feared duo in European football. Yorkie and Coley – to give them their colourful nicknames – played with a stunning symbiosis [as seen in the clip above] and were key in the 1998/99 Treble success.
Scotty Pippen and Michael Jordan
Jordan is a supreme athlete and could argue that his talent alone would win an NBA title or two for the Chicago Bulls. Without Pippen, however, the Bulls would never have claimed a remarkable six titles. Between the pair, they were named in 18 All-Star teams.
Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips
Little and large. The Irish striker laid on nine of Phillips’ 35 goals in one season and over 30 in their five season career at Sunderland. Quinn was not just the provider of chances for his wily strike partner, finding the net 61 times for the Black Cats. Quinn formed good international partnerships with Robbie Keane and John Aldridge but his club bond with Phillips was strongest.
Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington
Pout all you like Tiger, the lads are here to do a job. The Dubliners teamed up in 1997 to win the World Cup of Golf for Ireland. They played together in two Ryder Cup teams – 2002, 2006 – and won each time. McGinley was vice captain of the 2010 team that included Harrington and won at Celtic Manor. When McGinley became captain, he appointed his old buddy as a vice captain.
And one other pairing that also works….
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