Ireland vs All Blacks (2018)
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@siam said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@jc said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Donncha O’Callaghan in today’s Times:
All Blacks deserve their status – they really do sweep the sheds
Who will win? Before we make the customary prediction, we should never lose sight of the fact that it is a commendable achievement to be facing New Zealand with no consensus as to who will edge things. They are No 1 in the world in their No 1 team sport. We are No 2 in our No 4 game.
That we’re up there with them is to the immense credit of Joe Schmidt, the ultimate example of a Kiwi who has changed our standards for the better, and the system which the IRFU has overseen in recent years. It is one based on getting the most out of a small pool.
We simply do not have the depth of athletes playing rugby that they do; if Beauden Barrett were Irish he would probably be a winger with that pace. Brodie Retallick’s power and mobility would mark him out as a No 8 instead of a lock.
Their whole country is invested in the All Blacks, physically and spiritually. We come from a tradition too, though, one which has climbed its way to the second rung of world rugby on the back of four professional teams. Our days of deferring to anybody, no matter how much we respect them, are over.
Still, I believe New Zealand will have enough to get over the line tomorrow. And between now and the World Cup they will only improve.
● Donncha O’Callaghan won 94 Ireland caps and played on two Lions tours
Great write up
This part reminded me that it is 2 small nations making the efficient best of their rugby resources. Kiwis take pride in what we achieve on the rugby paddock per capita and it's only fair that the Irish fans should to (with less resources).
Our shared rugby ethos should bring affinity not adversity.
I'm going to try to like those Irish buggers from now, best of luck you fullas. 😁
Can't wait for this game!
Likewise, bud.
Meas mór (big respect) from this Ireland fan. -
Local weather forecast for KO time. Clear Sky, 11c and no rain. Sun in afternoon so hopefully a dry track.
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@derm-mccrum said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Local weather forecast for KO time. Light breeze, Clear Sky, 11c and no rain. Sun in afternoon so hopefully a dry track by the evening.
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@pakman said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@bones said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@tim that's fucked. I had something similar when about 21 and it fucked me. Constantly trying to deal with groin strains, loss of balance and no power off the mark.
Are you sure that wasn't the booze?
Are you outing yourself as 21yo me's girlfriend?
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@bones said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@pakman said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@bones said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@tim that's fucked. I had something similar when about 21 and it fucked me. Constantly trying to deal with groin strains, loss of balance and no power off the mark.
Are you sure that wasn't the booze?
Are you outing yourself as 21yo me's girlfriend?
Not your wife, then?
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Interesting stats
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@taniwharugby said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
OK 'no one' might be a stretch' but point is valid
You'd be amazed at the number of normally rational, intelligent, sensible people in England who think the ABs are an average team who only win because the Refs are in their pockets or are in awe of them, the laws are changed to specifically help the All Blacks and all the Polynesians in NZ have been brought there specifically to assist the AB selectors.
I've been told, in all seriousness, that McCaw was a very average player who would struggle to make the England Test team. The theory was his cheating made him look good and wouldn't be allowed to get away with cheating if he wore an England shirt.
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@daffy-jaffy I only just realised Mtawawira is injured.
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@rotated said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Good article - but the "no dickheads" angle is a bit overdone and doesn't do NZ any good.
Danny Hearn, who was seriously injured in a tackle on Ian McRae in 1967, and knows more than a little about team dynamics, thinks it a key reason for their success. Here he is on spending a few days with the team in 2013 after being invited by McRae.
"What a privilege. When you see them face to face en masse they look so young but then again I’m now getting very old. Above all else it was their discipline and politeness which was extraordinary and which I so rarely see written about. Yet it is at the heart of their genius and pre-eminence.
“One morning they wanted to train quite early and were required to meet in the hotel lobby at 8.30am, maybe even a bit earlier, and I heard Steve Hansen spell it out the night before that there was to be no excessive noise to disturb the other guests who were paying good money for their stay.
And they were quiet as mice, tiptoeing around like it was Christmas Eve. Anybody who has ever been associated with a high-spirited rugby team will appreciate how deeply impressive that is."
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@victor-meldrew said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@taniwharugby said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
OK 'no one' might be a stretch' but point is valid
You'd be amazed at the number of normally rational, intelligent, sensible people in England who think the ABs are an average team who only win because the Refs are in their pockets or are in awe of them, the laws are changed to specifically help the All Blacks and all the Polynesians in NZ have been brought there specifically to assist the AB selectors.
I've been told, in all seriousness, that McCaw was a very average player who would struggle to make the England Test team. The theory was his cheating made him look good and wouldn't be allowed to get away with cheating if he wore an England shirt.
You must get out an awful lot more than me as I rarely meet these people.
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@catogrande said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@victor-meldrew said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@taniwharugby said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
OK 'no one' might be a stretch' but point is valid
You'd be amazed at the number of normally rational, intelligent, sensible people in England who think the ABs are an average team who only win because the Refs are in their pockets or are in awe of them, the laws are changed to specifically help the All Blacks and all the Polynesians in NZ have been brought there specifically to assist the AB selectors.
I've been told, in all seriousness, that McCaw was a very average player who would struggle to make the England Test team. The theory was his cheating made him look good and wouldn't be allowed to get away with cheating if he wore an England shirt.
You must get out an awful lot more than me as I rarely meet these people.
A lot of the people I see in England, even Wales - are more those for whom rugby is a secondary sport, and they only have limited understanding of rules/etc. Soccer/football is obviously the primary sport - and they just watch rugby for the 6 Nations, and some of the "Autumn Internationals" - if they don't have anything else going on.
For a lot of these people, their whole understanding of rugby comes from the "clickbait" type articles in newspapers - so if Stephen Jones or Stuart Barnes write some ridiculous article... they'll believe it.
There are obviously also those who actually do watch rugby, including club rugby - and know their shit.
I'll leave it up to you to figure out which my boss is, with the clue being the first thing he said to me after the Eng-NZ game was... "Right, am I mad, but... how was that ever offside? I mean the ball was way ahead of that guy... " -
@victor-meldrew said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@taniwharugby said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
OK 'no one' might be a stretch' but point is valid
You'd be amazed at the number of normally rational, intelligent, sensible people in England who think the ABs are an average team who only win because the Refs are in their pockets or are in awe of them, the laws are changed to specifically help the All Blacks and all the Polynesians in NZ have been brought there specifically to assist the AB selectors.
I've been told, in all seriousness, that McCaw was a very average player who would struggle to make the England Test team. The theory was his cheating made him look good and wouldn't be allowed to get away with cheating if he wore an England shirt.
Yep this 100%. My neighbour is an older retired gentleman that watches a huge amount of rugby and played to a good standard back in the day. Every time NZ play he tells me McCaw was a "poor" player who the refs were too scared to penalise properly. And that he wouldn't have made the England team.
He is an otherwise intelligent and thoroughly lovely bloke. Obviously swore Lawes was onside last weekend.
It's fucking bizarre, and he's representative of most English rugby fans I come into contact with.
I've been here 13 years and it's gotten worse as the ABs have become more dominant.
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@catogrande said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@tewaio @Kruse Hmmm. Maybe you guys just get this shit because you're Kiwis? No point in trying to bait and Englishman on this subject sort of thing?
I haven't seen any of the extreme behaviour reported by @Victor-Meldrew or @TeWaio ... although I can believe there is a small minority that really do behave like this.
Like I say - I just see much more moderate (and genuine) "ignorance due to it's not my main sport", by those who read bollocks articles.
And when I talk to anybody with a genuine interest in rugby - ie, anybody supporting a local club... they are generally fine.What I have been surprised by, is whenever I watch a game in a Welsh pub... for a country where it's supposed to be NZ-like in that it's the main sport... the "average pundit" doesn't seem to know the game. Or perhaps - just that they're super parochial/one-eyed?
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You can get into a bubble being a rugby fan and assume everyone knows stuff. Listening to radio this morning and the presenter says “...and Ireland play New Zealand later on , oh no I mean theyre playing the ALL Blacks, are they the same thing, I don know, but I’m told it will be lots of fun. Anyway onto other things, the headlines are....”
In the city centre this morning and the rugby carpetbaggers are out in force. Pubs that wouldn’t be seen dead showing a rugby game any other weekend are all dressed up in green and flags with prices jacked up accordingly. Hate that gouging shit.
