RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
I actually this has enormous merit. Bringing the super experienced Sam's on to finish when the whips are cracking.
Exactly
Every good performance in the last few years has been us having a good burst in the first half. We are decent front runners
When the game gets into an arm wrestle? This side has been abysmal. It's about mitigating that by picking bench players than can close out a match.
Whitelock v Retallick is a close call but they've settled on Whitelock being a finisher for the same reason
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2023:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2023:
Anyone expecting Paps to start over Cane is absolutely deluded
It's the same selection as the last time the top side was selected
No, they picked Cane initially and he got hurt just prior - edit - sorry, you're talking Italy not France? Not 100% then.
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@KiwiMurph said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Beauden practicing drop goals all week.
BB's default these days is to kick so I think he'd be quite good at this. Although, he might be dumb enough to try them from out 22.
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@frugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Imagine how good it would be if we win via a Beaudy
drop goalchipkick out of our 22? Would be the hero arc his storied career deserves as an ending in black. -
@Nepia said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@KiwiMurph said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Beauden practicing drop goals all week.
BB's default these days is to kick so I think he'd be quite good at this. Although, he might be dumb enough to try them from out 22.
I hope not, otherwise....
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I went with the All Blacks.
Can't fathom how many people are underestimating the ABs - plus Ireland are going to have that RWC QF monkey on their back slowing them down... -
@Billy-Webb what's your tipping form been like so far in the competition Billy? Just wondering if it merits a hedge
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There is zero logic behind this, particularly considering the dross served up by the Foster regime the past 4 years, but I have this feeling that the Irish are walking into a trap. Possibly (probably) nationalistic delusion, but we have the weapons to beat these fůckers. We had our party spoilt for 20 odd years. Time we did the same.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
There is zero logic behind this, particularly considering the dross served up by the Foster regime the past 4 years, but I have this feeling that the Irish are walking into a trap. Possibly (probably) nationalistic delusion, but we have the weapons to beat these fůckers. We had our party spoilt for 20 odd years. Time we did the same.
My feeling as well. 17 straight victories, some hard games on the trot, a loving Irish press, coach saying they will just get better, old Irish players fanning the love... it all screams "trip up" to me. But again, maybe delusional optimism causing me to see things that aren't there....
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I wouldn’t pick one Irish player in a combined NZ/Ireland Father Ted’s XV….
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Win or Lose I want to hear the Irish media bitching for a week about our physicality just like they did after we played them in Dublin the week after the Soldiers field lose.
I feel like this nicey nicey PR shit that the NZRFU is so adamant about has infected our attitude on the pitch. If it needs to die a death for us to go back to a team that just smashes other teams so be it.
The NH will talk shit about us either way so let them write their stories. God I am fired up for this match the weekend can't come soon enough.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
There is zero logic behind this, particularly considering the dross served up by the Foster regime the past 4 years, but I have this feeling that the Irish are walking into a trap. Possibly (probably) nationalistic delusion, but we have the weapons to beat these fůckers. We had our party spoilt for 20 odd years. Time we did the same.
This is the only way I actually see us winning - if there is actually some dry powder that Foz, Schmidt et al have been working on that will take the Paddies so much by surprise that they simply do not know how to react. We basically need a repeat of the 2019 QF
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@pakman said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Any chance of Fozzie getting Covid before weekend?
Not sure if you’re saying Covid or covered or covert? When I read online the NZ accent can be hard to understand.
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@junior New hybrid defensive system? Would be surprised, but against Boks at Mount Smart I seem to recall NZ used outside defensive shooters (like Boks do with Faf de Klerk). So far in the world cup, they have used their passive defence system.
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Some random thoughts.
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This is Ireland’s match to lose. Nobody, I mean nobody, is expecting the ABs to win. If Eddie was coaching maate pressure would be chasing Andy Farrell down the street maate.
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The ABs are not as bad as so many people are making out.
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Ireland are not as good as so many people are making out.
I acknowledge they are the undisputed number 1 best team in the world at the moment. Their whole is way way more than the sum of their parts. But seriously, who amongst their XV, or even XXIII, is realistically in the conversation for a greatest all time team? I see some idiot was trying to crowbar Sexton into contention ... but DC, Wilkinson ...
Sexton is in the convo with Lynagh, Mehrts, Naas, Fox etc in that next level.
I think about the respect I had for England in '03, and how I reluctantly acknowledged that they were easily number 1, and really deserved their RWC because they dominated and had so many players in the conversation for the best ever: Johnson, Dallaglio, Hill, Wilkinson...
I maintain, this Irish mob have ... ummm ... who?
But again I'll acknowledge they are greater than the sum of their parts.
But is that whole really good enough?
... Back to us ...
- How pissed off will I be if we lose?
Funnily enough I don't expect us to win. In 36 years of World Cups I have never said that. In probably 45 years of following the ABs I've likely said that twice, maybe three times (and we won ... ).
So us losing will not be 1991-2007 level devastation, or even 2019 type disappointment. Expectation is just not there. A win will be a delightful surprise.
Is this how the rest of the world watches rugby? Without expectation? How much fun is that?
Anyway Ireland, enjoy hate watching for everything that could go wrong under the crushing weight of expectation...
- One last thought. If perchance we lose, then thank fuck we are spared continual FDS from this weekend on.
Personally I really hope we get Foster fat jokes for another two weeks. But if we don't at least there's a silver lining.
More random thoughts as they occur...
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