I’ve no idea how you can watch that match and say there’s a huge gap? It was insanely close. NZ deserved it but it was fine margins.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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I was referencing England and Ireland, not New Zealand and Ireland!
Kick your 3s. Turned down 3 and missed one. Say it every week watching the local boys. Getting tired off it
Oh right fair enough
Honestly Ireland's errors lost them the game. NZ were better on the night and fair play to them but if Ireland had played to their level they wouldn't have lost.
Heartbreaking. Nerves definitely played a part as we made errors we don’t usually make and kicked away a lot of possession. Fair play to NZ, they put in a great performance. I’m hoping France can do it now, be nice to see a new winner.
Be interesting to see where Ireland go from here with a few big names likely retiring. I’d like to see us assess the squad and quickly start phasing out who might not be there in 4 years. For me the likes of Lowe should be replaced with younger players for the next 6 nations. It’s a horrible thing but just the way sports is. Anyone the wrong side of 30 we need to be looking to find their replacement and start building towards the next one. It’s probably somewhere we haven’t been strong at in the past.
Gutted for the players but they can be proud of themselves and their effort, went down swinging until the end.
Be interesting to see where Ireland go from here with a few big names likely retiring. I’d like to see us assess the squad and quickly start phasing out who might not be there in 4 years. For me the likes of Lowe should be replaced with younger players for the next 6 nations. It’s a horrible thing but just the way sports is. Anyone the wrong side of 30 we need to be looking to find their replacement and start building towards the next one. It’s probably somewhere we haven’t been strong at in the past.
Gutted for the players but they can be proud of themselves and their effort, went down swinging until the end.
Our general kicking out of hand was very poor today.
And as for the bold, that's what I said we needed to do after the last world cup. It's what France did for the most part. I'd say there's a very good chance yet again that we won't learn our lesson.
I actually can't sleep here. Absolutely gutted.
Looking ahead of the the England team ahead of the game for me Cole, Tuilagi and May all lucky to be starting but I would have gone with Sinkler, Lawrence and Arundel. That being said I don't hate Farrall starting at 10, Ford started well in the WC but didn't look good against Samoa and when England faced Fiji in WC build up Ford got flattened by Fiji. Farrell hasn't been that great either but against Fiji I think it might be the better call. I also don't hate Smith over Steward at 15, I thought Smith looked good there considering it was his first game in the position. From a tactics perspective putting Smith at 15 Borthwick is daring Fiji to kick, taking them away from their much stronger running. Stewards defence this World Cup has been very poor and over last 18 months imo has taken a step backwards.
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Mate it’s only a sport like one country actually takes seriously don’t worry
You on your tenth beer son?
What a game of rugby. Had a feeling NZ would win.
Spoken like someone who had no skin in the game
I am but I put I meant Tuilagi but I put his first name instead and this forum auto corrects to Man Utd.I enjoyed it but is anything I said false? NZ are literally the only country in the world that have it as their #1 sport. If Ireland were actually decent at football we wouldn’t give a flying feck about rugby.
it’s a weird sport. I swear the ref made up at least 5 new rules tonight I’d never heard before.
You just sound like you don't care so it's a bit insensitive to put put someone down who does. It was a real opportunity for this team to do something truly special, for the only all island team we have. We came up short on the night but are the better team as far as I'm concerned. It was heart breaking for some of us independent of any feelings for football.
I really hope Andy Farrell stays as coach. The next wave of players are through the roof. I really like what he has done for us. A truly fantastic coach, and he seems like an all-round decent fella. As hard as it is to think this way right now after the defeat, it's the next 4 years we now have to be building for. I cannot wait to see how it pans out. I'll be 49 by the time the next World Cup comes around. Holy Jaypers! I joined the Caf 23 years ago!
I wasn't sure about Farrell when he came in first but he's built on Schmidt's legacy and made Ireland a force to be reckoned with. He should definitely stay on. There was no disgrace in losing that QF. The team has come on in leaps and bounds and along with an improved defence, finally we're mixing up our game and off-loading in the tackle.
Under Farrell you get the impression we'll learn from that experience and for God's sake fix whatever the hell went wrong with that line out.
Agreed. Kearney said they played to about 80% of their level and if they played to 90% they'd have won. Both numbers might be a little low but he has a point.
Ireland made some strange calls and bad errors. We'd have gotten away with it against most of the last 8 but not NZ.
The thing about the next wave of players is the current players will prevent a lot of them getting a chance, take the No8 he’d be lucky to see the light of day at Munster as long as the best specialist No8 in Ireland is still there in Gavin Coombes, whereas Quinn will get a shot because POM is on his last legs, the young no 10 will have both Byrnes? In front of him and the 9 who looked excellent will have JGP a lot will depend on how cutthroat the clubs are.
Now for Farrell he’s been brilliant in between the cups, but this really was our shot, the Kiwis are going to have a better coaching staff, are England going to be as badly coached and the French’s next gen is scary and they have the clubs to bleed them in 150kg tualagi as a lock is going to destroy scrums and the big question is if we have a chance to get ROG do we get him or potentially let him go to England and win them a cup, because he will win it with someone.
One final thing the age of our squad Farrell will have to cut a load of players because there is a lot of them getting on 31/32 right now and we can’t bring a squad filled with 35 year olds again it’s a young man’s game especially at the back and back row forward position and this could be hindered with the clubs drive for success.
in the cold light of the next day, i can’t help but feel ireland had it coming after how @Pogue Mahone was claiming that ireland would definitely win the whole thing, easily.
It's the mistake we make time and again though
Ireland playing well between world cups then shitting the bed in the tournament. Tale as old as time.
Might never have a better chance.
Might never have a better chance.
Gutted for Ireland.
That NZ defence though was astonishing. I don’t think I’ve seen a higher level of play. They played fantastic.
Can’t see Argentina beating them. Nailed on NZ v Fiji final.
Waiting for the English bites.
That NZ defence though was astonishing. I don’t think I’ve seen a higher level of play. They played fantastic.
Can’t see Argentina beating them. Nailed on NZ v Fiji final.
Waiting for the English bites.
Did NZ have their best team in the opening game against France? Jordie Barrett didn't play, right?
You’re NH now pal
More importantly NZ played very close to 100%. And when any top team produces such a perfect performance it’s an uphill battle.
I don’t think Ireland actually made that many errors. Apparently Tadhg Furlong was only involved in three scrums the whole time he was on the pitch. And I reckon they were all from up and unders. The handling of both teams was immaculate. Over 80 minutes we only made one obvious defensive error (the Jordan try) and Sexton only missed one kick at goal. The lineout was a problem but we fixed it as the game went on and didn’t lose any in the second half. Our maul defence was solid and good going forwards. Our penalty count was fairly low (and similar to NZ’s)
It was one of those games where a very good team produced a flawless performance, so the sort of minor errors that happen in every game get magnified out of all proportion. Ireland shouldn’t be too hard on themselves. Although they will be, of course.
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The “mistake” didn’t cost us at this tournament, nor the 17 game winning streak coming into it. So the decision to stick with some of the older players was vindicated. We obviously need to integrate some new blood now but now is the perfect time to do it.
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I think did it cost them. There was not sufficient trust to bring Crowley on when Sexton was flagging for the last ten minutes. He played almost every minute of the tournament. We had quite a few of the old guard who did that.
Sexton was excellent in those last 10 minutes last night. Crowley would have made no difference. And we won all our matches before then handily enough.
The whole squad was flagging towards the end against NZ, young and old. That’s the price we played for three tough games in a row where we couldn’t rotate. There’s a debate to be had about whether we could have rotated more vs Romania and Samoa but that’s irrespective of the age of the squad.
Devastated don't think any other Irish team is coming back from 13-0 down. Small consolation I know. For me Bunder Aki definitely in the team of the tournament and had we gone that step further player of the tournament but unfortunately for him a lot of rugby left to play yet.
not sure i buy that the irish players are too old. the world cup scheduling was kind, if not the draw, and they’ve now got the semis off to rest up anyhow.
such a tosser.I think they looked very flat. Big ask for basically the same 15 to play Boks, Scots and Kiwis in a few weeks.
It is. Kiwis had a tough match against France, but it was early and they could afford to lose it knowing they’d finish second anyway. Then they had 3 training ground matches
I think they looked very flat. Big ask for basically the same 15 to play Boks, Scots and Kiwis in a few weeks.
So much for my predictions! Ireland weren’t at the races the first 15minutes and made some costly errors later on as well. Not the time to have a off day, maybe nerves played a part.
Yeah, didn’t seem to have their usual intensity.
I think they looked very flat. Big ask for basically the same 15 to play Boks, Scots and Kiwis in a few weeks.
I wonder if the Boks will target Dupont's face. From a tactical point of view, it may be worth a yellow. Completely unsporting behaviour of course.
Quality control
That’s Ireland level. You just can’t take away mentality from sport. It’s all nice and great to win some friendlies and some minor tournaments but when you have never went further then group stages at the World Cup, you can’t pretend you are better then that. Big boy Sexton was a pussy tonight so let’s not pretend it’s unlucky of something. Best players are shining when it matters.
On the other hand, NZ dominated Rugby since the World Cup was created, always have been the most attractive team to watch and it showed tonight. They were professional and on a mission. Very clinical and they knew how to defend when it mattered. They won even if they played with a player less for 20 minutes.
Settle down with that kind of BS. This thread is generally friendly, we don't need nor want that kind of attitude and general nonsense.
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