Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!

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All credit to the Kiwis. Clinical and tactical brilliance. Insane defence in the dying minutes. The game could ultimately have swung either way. We can point fingers all night, but we saw two superb teams tonight battle it out and unfortunately Ireland didn't come out as the victors. I guess the silver lining is that we have an absolutely insane Under 20's team coming through. Not ideal in the here and now, but we will have our day soon.
 
Brilliant game. I've spent the week telling people they're assholes for writing off the All Black's. Like we Irish don't know what happens when you get ahead off yourselves. Pfffft.

It was superb, even my aloof teen got invested.
 
The All Blacks have clawed back some of that mystique.
 
I think our line out was a huge factor.

First half only. Didn't Iteland win their own line out every time in the second half?

I think Ireland took their foot of the pedal when NZ were a man down twice. We did not make the most of it.
 
Great game, well deserved from the New Zealand team. So close, that try nearly grounded, the kick from Sexton...great game though !
 
All credit to the Kiwis. Clinical and tactical brilliance. Insane defence in the dying minutes. The game could ultimately have swung either way. We can point fingers all night, but we saw two superb teams tonight battle it out and unfortunately Ireland didn't come out as the victors. I guess the silver lining is that we have an absolutely insane Under 20's team coming through. Not ideal in the here and now, but we will have our day soon.
Problem of the draw yeah. These were semi or final worthy games. Oh well.

I thought we were anticipating 4 northern hemisphere teams and now…
 
The decline of southern hemisphere rugby has been greatly exaggerated. 6N falling again despite being slight favorites in both their games.France has a mountain to climb tomorrow.
It'd be hilarious if England once again is the only northern hemisphere nation to make it to the semis.
 
All credit to the Kiwis. Clinical and tactical brilliance. Insane defence in the dying minutes. The game could ultimately have swung either way. We can point fingers all night, but we saw two superb teams tonight battle it out and unfortunately Ireland didn't come out as the victors. I guess the silver lining is that we have an absolutely insane Under 20's team coming through. Not ideal in the here and now, but we will have our day soon.

Agree with most of that. But qf defeat in 2027 and 2031 I'd bet!
 
Brilliant game. I've spent the week telling people they're assholes for writing off the All Black's. Like we Irish don't know what happens when you get ahead off yourselves. Pfffft.
Tonight was the first time I’ve ever watched a full rugby game in my life and even to me it was obvious.

irish fans basically turned into the English
 
The decline of southern hemisphere rugby has been greatly exaggerated. 6N falling again despite being slight favorites in both their games.France has a mountain to climb tomorrow.
It'd be hilarious if England once again is the only northern hemisphere nation to make it to the semis.
kanye.gif
 
Who upset Sexton after the final whistle? He was really having a go at someone.

Emotion and his ego probably. He was some player. I see oppo fans don't like him, but what a player he has been. That Keane-like drive and supreme talent.
 
I guess Ireland's greatest sporting achievement is still Red Rum.
 
All the talk of Ireland's 37 phase ending..... didn't NZ have one that was like 30 phases in the first half too? Insane stuff.
 
Emotion and his ego probably. He was some player. I see oppo fans don't like him, but what a player he has been. That Keane-like drive and supreme talent.

Yup. The ultimate professional. A born winner. Won’t make you friends but will win you trophies. Kills me that we haven’t had anyone at United cut from that same cloth since Keane.
 
The decline of southern hemisphere rugby has been greatly exaggerated. 6N falling again despite being slight favorites in both their games.France has a mountain to climb tomorrow.
It'd be hilarious if England once again is the only northern hemisphere nation to make it to the semis.

This is still not a vintage ABs side on any account though. It's a decline compared to the heights we're used to expecting from them.
 
The poor start - thats it. We out scored them from thereonin. I even said it was over after the NZ first try, you cannot give a top team such an advantage. I think as well we were at the NZ line twice before they scored their first try. So even an unconverted try ourselves then and we win - or two penalties - the ifs and buts.

Really sickening. Really feels like a missed opportunity.
 
This is still not a vintage ABs side on any account though. It's a decline compared to the heights we're used to expecting from them.
Agree. But my point is that is a historically good Irish side and it's still not enough to take down the AB's even when they're not at their vintage high. NZ and SA are just on another level mentally. Which is why I wouldn't be surprised if the Springboks knock out France tomorrow either (which I really hope doesn't happen since I love french rugby).
 
Not a regular rugby viewer but I’m intrigued by Ireland’s insistence to go for the corner from the start. Had a chance to make it 3-3 and turned it down, ended up 13-0 down. Is that what Ireland normally do? I feel like in big knockout games you have to wind it in a tad unless you are chasing more than 1 score down.
 
Not a regular rugby viewer but I’m intrigued by Ireland’s insistence to go for the corner from the start. Had a chance to make it 3-3 and turned it down, ended up 13-0 down. Is that what Ireland normally do? I feel like in big knockout games you have to wind it in a tad unless you are chasing more than 1 score down.
It's been the way for a few years for the most part, even the latter part under Schmidt they would usually go for the corner so presumably some analysis have told them it's worthwhile but it slightly ignored the fact that the Irish line out has been unusually suspect all tournament (and in the warms up) and maybe not putting so much pressure on it early and getting the scoreboard ticking over earlier might have been smarter in hindsight.
 
Didn’t matter in the end though
It did in the sense that they needed a try rather than a drop goal or a penalty but the All Blacks discipline was incredible in that last play, I was hoping for a penalty advantage at some stage to at least take some pressure off but they forced Ireland to go through so many phases without getting near the line and then picked the right time to turn it over.
 
I will say that some of the posters here had it coming, loudly saying that no Southern Hemisphere teams will make the semis for example. Think multiple posters here had Ireland winning as a foregone conclusion, which maybe is understandable with their recent record against NZ but a WC is a different beast and Ireland clearly struggled with the pressure to 'break the curse' today.

Ireland played with heart but they also were given every chance to win this match with the 2 yellow cards and still couldn't get it done. This was against an AB team that is not as good as some of the previous versions (maybe one can say they are in a transition period?). Irish fans should rightly see this as a kick in the balls for a long time, a complete failure for me and their fans had it coming.
 
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