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.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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It was superb, even my aloof teen got invested.
The All Blacks have clawed back some of that mystique.
Atleast you are not @Still ill
There is no sweeter sight than seeing that little twerp balling his eyes out. Can't stand him. Dry you're eyes, lad
I hope they win it now.
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 !
Who upset Sexton after the final whistle? He was really having a go at someone.
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…
Yeah.
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.
It'd be hilarious if England once again is the only northern hemisphere nation to make it to the semis.
Agree with most of that. But qf defeat in 2027 and 2031 I'd bet!
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
And got a lineout maul try.
Once again the English flying the home nations flag.
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.
Sexton must be gutted he missed that pen
Devastated.
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.
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.
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.
Really sickening. Really feels like a missed opportunity.
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).
Why is Sexton hated off the field? Just seen the comments above.
I was wondering that too. Amazing player, absolutely brilliant.
Is he hated?
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.
He isn’t. A couple of dick comments in this thread give that impression though.
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, could of gone for a drop goal
True in relative terms but it changes the momentum in the moment IMO, which isn’t really capture but the scorecard
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.
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.
Anyway, as a “south” born and bred…I really thought this was an all NH semi final. So at least there’s that…
To be fair, the only really, kind of hated Rugby player I know is Owen Farrell....
Think I owe Foster an apology as a Saffer….(possibly not)
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