RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland
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You know you're up against it when one of your own legends is tipping the green machine:
Legendary centre Conrad Smith fears for the All Blacks against Ireland
Former New Zealand centre Conrad Smith feels Ireland are deserved favourites ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against the All Blacks in Paris.
"I’d love to think the All Blacks have got one in us to get one over the Irish, but it’s a game that if it was played 10 times, the All Blacks could win three or four."
He must have been speaking to @Dodge
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Mystic Meg is going with his heart, but his head is telling him differently:
‘The Pool has been massively harmful to us’ – All Blacks legend Justin Marshall concerned ahead of Ireland clash
All Blacks legend Justin Marshall thinks New Zealand’s pool preparation leaves them vulnerable ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final clash against Ir...
When it came time to making a final prediction, the legendary scrum-half was reluctant to go against his home country, even as he acknowledged that he doesn’t know if they will be good enough to beat Ireland.
"My prediction is New Zealand and as you can see, I’m not totally convinced that is going to happen. I hope in my heart that New Zealand can find that performance, but Ireland are the best team in the world and the only way you can beat the best team in the world is to play out of your skin. New Zealand need to find that right now.”
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@PecoTrain said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Derm-McCrum said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Much amusement that Gregor Paul of the NZ Herald seems to have misunderstood the long-standing joke between Irish and SA fans about Josh van der Flier being from Wicklow in South Africa.
The secret to reading Gregor Paul articles is to ensure you enjoy the fish'n'chips that they are wrapped around as the grease and torn paper will hopefully make the article a thoughtful but unfinished "what if" rather than something that should be put straight into the bin.
Eating fish and chips off your mobile phone? Is that a New Zealand thing now? Pretty small portions.
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@Tim said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
(a) We are a better team than in the series last year.
(b) Ireland were well on top in the 1st game last year, until Sexton got a head knock and went off.
I'm outraged. What are you suggesting should happen JJ Sexminx in the match?
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@game_film said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@PecoTrain Oh dear. Takes all of 2 seconds to check that one, even if your entire career wasn’t based on knowing everything going on in Rugby. Guess he thought he was too good to be Irish.
Thought it was more that he'd probably never heard of him before....
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@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@MiketheSnow Ryan was on the bench against Scotland. Henderson started.
So Ryan out, McCarthy in is the only change.
Strong, settled team. They are battle hardened, but they have also played a fair bit too. Compare the NZ backrow playing minutes to Ireland's:
Image taken from this post on X:
https://x.com/Selfimprove_Man/status/1712014608557338881?s=20
That is very interesting to see just how many minutes the Ireland top team have had. Shows how important their core players are but also shows why they are so well drilled and organised, they play a shitload of minutes together which simply can't be earnt on the training field. I'm surprised Ioane has only played 172 minutes in 4 games compared to 259 for ringrose or 320 for Aki.
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@chimoaus said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@MiketheSnow Ryan was on the bench against Scotland. Henderson started.
So Ryan out, McCarthy in is the only change.
Strong, settled team. They are battle hardened, but they have also played a fair bit too. Compare the NZ backrow playing minutes to Ireland's:
Image taken from this post on X:
https://x.com/Selfimprove_Man/status/1712014608557338881?s=20
That is very interesting to see just how many minutes the Ireland top team have had. Shows how important their core players are but also shows why they are so well drilled and organised, they play a shitload of minutes together which simply can't be earnt on the training field. I'm surprised Ioane has only played 172 minutes in 4 games compared to 259 for ringrose or 320 for Aki.
He had one game off.
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@Derm-McCrum Gregor Paul is a Jock, who just happens to masquerade as a NZ rugby journo. Best to ignore him - we do.
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@taniwharugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@BerniesCorner would the French in the crowd want Ireland or us?
Assuming France were to make the final, you reckon they'd love nothing more than smashing us in the final?
It’s what I’d want if my forebearers hadn’t been chased out of France.
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@ACT-Crusader said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@booboo said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
In case it hasn't been mentioned ...
6pm CET Thursday = 2am AEST = 4am NZST
All is right with the world.
6pm CET Thursday = 3am AEDT = 5am NZDT
Ah, so we're both right? Forgot the normal parts of the world do daylight saving.
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@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
This has been the most vocal I have seen any New Zealand team, they are worried about what can happen possibly a little bit more than they are confident of what they can do. The All Blacks do not know how to be the underdog. Ireland can exploit that discomfort."
Funny how perspectives differ.
That Harry Jones dude I quoted earlier talking to Devlin said he'd never come across the ABs flying so quietly under the radar.
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@chimoaus TBF, given the higher intensity games they have had to play, they have been forced to largely play thier best team more, whereas we have had 3 opposed traning runs, no requirement to play the top side.
Which adds to the tackle stats shown up there as well, Ireland have been tested on defence by handy attack structures, we havent, well not for a month.
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@george33 Liam Napier’s latest article looks like a summary of this thread 😂.
I think @george33 suggested Fainga’anuku was a potential surprise starter further up the thread and Napier goes with:
“If Telea is ruled out the All Blacks will turn to Leicester Fainga’anuku’s powerful presence after he impressed from the left wing to claim four tries against Namibia and Uruguay.”
Nobody from the AB camp suggested there was a problem with Telea this week. So did Napier shoe horn the Telea injury (conjecture) on the back of George’s suggestion that Leicester may be selected? Interesting 😉
