RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland
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It’s been a minute…
I’ve been preoccupied with life. Perhaps I have lived in Australia too long now. The game with all its changes and the lack of parochialism for the game, here in Eshay-land, has rubbed off on me. I don’t follow the NPC anymore and couldn’t tell you who the captain is for Wellington. But this World Cup has been somewhat of a revival for my interest. I have always been a rugby guy but it’s waned in the Nrl stronghold of QLD where I live. Now though, watching this WC has been great for helping me remember that even though I don’t recognise many things about the game I grew up playing, living and loving. There are still aspects of this great sport that are thankfully still very much the same. The drama and the banding together to get the job done are very much still there. The fairytale for someone like Whitelock to be the player to earn his team penalty to finish them off. It’s why we watch.
Not surprisingly I still hate England. But I also now very much dislike Ireland. Sexton, as others have said, is an absolute fuckwit. Seeing all these Insta posts during the last few years, saying he was as good as Larkham, Wilkinson and DC was annoying. But the closer the World Cup got he was being touted as the best flyhalf the game has seen. The best flyhalf the game has seen shovelled the ball on for 80 odd minutes today. The biggest game of his career and all he had to offer was an etc set of hands for the ball to touch. I haven’t been here for some 2-3 years and when I was the Irish posters were always very good blokes. I don’t like to say gracious as that sounds patronising. Just good guys. But fuck your team has become easy to dislike. When you’re the top guys detractors are everywhere I guess. Also to be the best you need to have an arrogance about you. But Ireland, in the last 10-12 months especially ( “ …a shit McCaw”) have just built themselves up to a point where todays obvious tragedy, for them, is oh so enjoyable for everyone else. The fact they have been as good as they have been is great for the game. It’s great for their fans and great for their country. But otherwise pretty please, with a cherry on top, eat. a. dick. (Can I say that? I am not up to date with the in and outs of the fern in 2023). Again that’s not focussed on the Irish posters here. Just the Irish team themselves and the non rugby Irish bandwagon hoppers. But especially you Sexton. Who post match had a face like a thousand sucked lemons. I don’t doubt his disappointment was real and he has had an outstanding career for his country. But you’re the type of player the game needs rid of. There was a moment where, as a senior player he was mouthing off, post game at one of his teams mates when he should have been consoling him. Fuck right off.
Anyway on to the next. Ardie and Cane played their best game together, I thought. We tackled like demons and there were selections we either couldn’t make through injury or discipline that meant we could have been potentially better. So fuck all this talk that Ireland didn’t show up. We just meshed and got it right with what players we had on the day and tackled them out of the game.
I don’t care, in this moment, if we win from here. I’m contented, for today. Tomorrow will be different. But today I’m just happy for this team.
I’ve been drinking since 3pm it’s 7:30 now so I apologise if that’s incoherent waffle.
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@booboo said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@kiwiinmelb said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@ACT-Crusader said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
It took 84 minutes (41 in the 1st and 43 in the 2nd) to beat this Irish team. They didn't do what they had done for the past 17 matches. They made mistakes. Their set piece was under massive pressure. They fluffed their maul attack with less than 10 to go. There were players with hands on hips with 2 minutes still on the clock. Even with space they couldn't take advantage of 1-on-1 contests.
So I don't disagree with Kearney in what is an Irish analysis of the match for an Irish audience (BTW who was the Aussie at the end of that coverage?). He was clearly disappointed. Sounded very familiar to the post 2007 QF analysis, where we didn't play even remotely to what we had been playing prior to the RWC.
Matt Williams think his name is , Aussie coach who worked over there for years , now in their media
Was Wobbly coach for a year wasn't he?
Not sure , Scotland I think in the early 2000s , and Leinster ?
Doesn’t mind giving a few controversial opinions , like South African rugby is boring , Allblacks are cynical etc
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Watching again. We obviously held on but gee that decision to put up the bomb with 3min to go was absolutely retarded.
I left the room at that point...
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@Machpants said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@BerniesCorner said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
All 6 tries were scored by New Zealanders!
Apart from the penalty try....
... And the Tongan
Chalk up the PT to Taylor.
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That like calling Richie McCaw a Scotsman.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Alo had never stepped foot on Tongan soil for anything more than a quick visit.
You are confusing nationality with heritage. Anyway he’s an adopted Irishman now
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Has anyone else noticed the big irony of that game?
Foster and co. got it bang-on when they highlighted the need for a defensive halfback for the final stages and chose Christie for that reason. He didn't come off the bench.
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@raznomore welcome back fella. Don't worry, I don't care about Wellington's captain either
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@Victor-Meldrew said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Has anyone else noticed the big irony of that game?
Foster and co. got it bang-on when they highlighted the need for a defensive halfback for the final stages and chose Christie for that reason. He didn't come off the bench.
Smith has an edgier defensive edge. Go figure.
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@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Victor-Meldrew said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Has anyone else noticed the big irony of that game?
Foster and co. got it bang-on when they highlighted the need for a defensive halfback for the final stages and chose Christie for that reason. He didn't come off the bench.
Smith has an edgier defensive edge. Go figure.
Best YC in AB history.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Has anyone else noticed the big irony of that game?
Foster and co. got it bang-on when they highlighted the need for a defensive halfback for the final stages and chose Christie for that reason. He didn't come off the bench.
It's funny you say that, because the image of him coming on and giving away a penalty for being 'over eager' did come to me when I saw him celebrating with the other guys on the bench...
Aaron Smith did what we needed from our halfback at the end, and that wasn't getting stuck in a ruck making a tackle but directing the play of the defence and loudly encouraging the boys to hold their line and realign
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I don't like the comparisons with 2007. Give us 2 yellow cards and those penalties and we get a cricket score. It's not like Ireland also lost Sexton and his replacement to injury during the game either.
2007 wasn't a vintage AB performance but would easily have been enough if Barnes had been competent and those injuries hadn't occurred.
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@allblackfan2 said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@chimoaus said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
I'm assuming there are going to be lots of cheap tickets popping up online for the Semi-final, I can't imagine many Irish supporters hanging around now.
Anyone know of any reputable ticket resale sites?
RWC have a ticket resale section, heaps of tickets available, all full price €550
Tried these guys this morning: https://rugbytravelireland.com/semi-final-hotel-ticket-flights-rwc-2023/
“ Semi-Final. Hotel, Ticket & Flights Package.
Ireland have famously never qualified for the semi-finals of a Rugby World Cup. Will RWC 2023 be the first time that they do? If they do, enjoy an amazing weekend where you will be cheering on Ireland as they try and make it to the Rugby World Cup Final!Our one-night hotel, ticket, flight and airport transfer package will depart from Dublin.
This package will go live on our website straight after the Ireland v New Zealand match if/when we win!”
Apparently it wasn’t meant as a guarantee.
Seriously, I’ve got a very solid fixer - got us front row seats to both QFs at a fair price when every Irishman still had stars in their eyes. PM me.
But I’ll also be asking the poor fellas for tickets once the pain has subsided a bit and it isn’t quite so raw.
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@NTA said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@NTA said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@sparky said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
What an utter arsehole Rob Kearney is! He could have shown some humility on the final whistle and said “I called the All Blacks defensive passive. I was wrong.”
Instead he bagged his own team after they slogged their guts for 80 minutes. Irish Rugby deserves better than smug gits like him.
Don't see what was wrong with his comments. He was right: Ireland didn't play near their potential (based on the 54 lines I've seen) and lost because it it.
As you absolutely love to say
They didn't because we didn't let them
Actually I love to point out that ABs fans
a never believe opposition pressure them into errors,
b they'd rather say "we played shit bro" and
c barely ever give the other side credit.a the opposition (Ireland) pressured us into errors and
b at times we played shit, bro.*
c They played really well.
We still won, mind.*Even our captain is a shit Richie McCaw, and he was one of our best players!
Just hope they rest some of these forwards, maybe play Cane etc off the bench or sub them early next game?
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@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@NTA said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Been out all day. Saw the last 5 minutes this morning so nice to get time this afternoon to get a look at the rest.
ABs first attacking raid going 29 phases without incident is pretty good.
Ireland's lineout and ruck are nervy.
I thought Barnes got the first scrum wrong tho - ABs THP folded in for me
Look at porter, he knew exactly what he'd done, didn't even give it the regulation prop head shake.
I’ve been banging on about their props cheating since the AB series. Welsh URC fans have been doing it even longer.
And from ground level it was plain as day - every fucking scrum Porter steps out and hinges to avoid the contest.
By the middle of the second half even the Irish around me were wailing - fuck me he’s done it again.
Barnes had a pretty good shift. But it’s still baffling how it took so long for a ref to punish the Irish scrum. Because it isn’t subtle. Any more than their ruck work and Barnes largely let that go. So it was plenty ironic when the Irish were moaning that he swallowed his whistle in that final stretch.
As if the ABs hadn’t been on the other side of Barnes just letting the teams duke it out.
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Sexton, great alltime player, but he's a shit Dan Carter.
POM, enough said.
Congrats to the Irish teams and fans, you'll be back, but for this team looks like the end of an aura.
But some good news, there is finally(?!) an Irish coach going into a RWC semifinal!
Happy happy joy joy! -
@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Smuts you feeling alright fella? Almost sound like you've handed in your green card.
Spent the night as an AB supporter. Got called a fluffybunny by an Irishman. So about even.
Going to shave my head in penance.
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@Smuts said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Smuts you feeling alright fella? Almost sound like you've handed in your green card.
Spent the night as an AB supporter. Got called a fluffybunny by an Irishman. So about even.
Going to shave my head in penance.
Nah, Bru, just make a pact
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@Smuts said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Smuts you feeling alright fella? Almost sound like you've handed in your green card.
Spent the night as an AB supporter. Got called a fluffybunny by an Irishman. So about even.
Going to shave my head in penance.
If you want me to call you a fluffybunny, just giz a shout. I'd hate to not help someone in need.
