The Silver Fern

What can I say except well done New Zealand.

My heart goes out to our wonderful Ireland team but they didn’t have enough against a simply superlative NZ team.

Congrats guys.

You guys are already 24 hours ahead - the game is on tonight.

PS - don't tell me the score.

Fifteen minutes to go. Can't wait.

That scraping sound you hear as journalists run out of things to ask at media conferences....

@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Derm-McCrum mine was deadly serious

Ok then. Duly noted.

@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Derm-McCrum I am not a coward

Glad to hear it. My comment was a general one, not aimed at anyone here as I don't know anyone.

@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Derm-McCrum I think @mooshld is married to an Irish lass. Maybe he’s been getting some of that world famous craic from the in-laws?

Nah - proper craic is an everyone thing, not just one party.

Some people like to file their obnoxious behaviour or attitudes under 'I was just having the craic' or 'I was only joking' - invariably they're not really, in my experience. They just like being mean-spirited or cruel but are too cowardly to admit it.

@mooshld said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

The wait on this one is killing me. I really really want us to win this. Not for Fozzies legacy or because I think we can go all the way. I think that would be a long shot.

I just find the average Irish rugby supporter to be totally unbearable. I first noticed it with their holier than thou approach to goal kicking. Ohh look at us we stay silent everyone else boos, so fucking what. You think the kickers give a shit? Its not good sportsmanship its just another type of intimidation. Just like you try and scream over the line out call at every fucking throw in.

I think it all really got out of hand around the time of the "He could have died" cleanout. It quickly became a spare tackle, even though there was no ball. Then it was intentional, then we should apologise.

After that any match we beat them in was because the Ref, or we cheated, or we were too physical or Jonny was targeted or the haka. Then when they started beating us, its not like the fans humbled in their success. No, now they didn't beat us they smashed us! Any infringement against us had to be a red, their infringements were again due to bad Refs or just different because reasons! See soak tackle, a phrase that has only been used once in all the international rugby I have ever watched. They are the only set of fans that think they need to "counter the haka" like its some sort of weapon, its a cultural tradition. If its such a problem just ask we won't do it.

But for me, the straw that broke the camels back, was the shitty mean girls sledging that their fans think is sooooo funny. "You're just a shit Richie McCaw" hahahah good one. That's the kind of shit that should wake you up in the middle of the night just to cringe at the mere thought of.

If we do win, they will be going over the footage frame by frame to see where they were cheated, of that I have no doubt. But for once I couldn't want for anything more.

This is our final, anything after this is a bonus I just hope the coaches are lighting a proper fucking fire in the players. I want to see us come out and show a level of physicality we normally reserve for South Africa right from the first whistle.

2 more days hurry the fuck up!!!!!

I think someone is having a bad day.

@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Derm-McCrum "everyone take two bags" obviously doesn't fit in Fozzie logic

I thought it might be passing practice - but obviously I'll defer to your greater knowledge and insights.

Schmidt's new team cohesion programme.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The All Blacks bag chain is unmatched 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllBlacks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc^tfw">#AllBlacks</a> <a href="https://t.co/hUbXzsPdWv">pic.twitter.com/hUbXzsPdWv</a></p>— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) <a href="

">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The minutes played is interesting and reflective of Farrell & Co's mindset - stick with the winning combo to some degree - leaving aside injuries preventing earlier introduction of some back-ups such as Henshaw, O'Brien, McCarthy. If they manage to win at weekend, he's going to have to come up with a new selection plan for playing likely Wales who Gatland has flogged into superb shape over the last few months, and have had an arguably easier ride/rotation in the pool stages. The contrasts with NZ and SA are illuminating.
Their road could easily run out this weekend though if NZ get to turn on the pace of the game.

@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....

@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?

@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.

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 RWC 2019 Stumblers vs 2023 Hopers

Cian Healy vs Andrew Porter
Rory Best vs Dan Sheehan
Tadhg Furlong - same
Iain Henderson - same
James Ryan vs Tadgh Beirne
Peter O'Mahony - same
Josh van der Flier - same
CJ Stander vs Caelan Doris

Conor Murray - Jamison Gibson Park
Johnny Sexton - same
Jacob Stockdale vs Mack Hansen
Robbie Henshaw vs Bundee Aki
Garry Ringrose - same
Keith Earls vs James Lowe
Rob Kearney vs Hugo Keenan
Replacements
Niall Scannell vs Ronan Kelleher
Dave Kilcoyne - same
Andrew Porter vs Finlay Bealham
Tadhg Beirne vs Joe McCarthy
Rhys Ruddock vs Jack Conan
Luke McGrath vs Conor Murray
Joey Carbery vs Jack Crowley
Jordan Larmour vs Jimmy O'Brien

@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.

Leinster's Jimmy O'Brien is in the 23 instead of Henshaw or McCloskey - brings more versatility to the backline.

@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

To any of the Irish posters on here, I've seen some talk about Irish fans countering the Haka. Will it be the Fields of Athenry or Zombie as the backing song to the Haka at the weekend do you think?

How would we know? Besides it's not countering the haka - it's an Irish singalong that the NZ team dance to along with a beaudacious rapper.

Crowd Zombie feat/Aaron S. and the Unzedders

@booboo said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Derm-McCrum said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

Apparently Jimmy O'Brien ate a Kimberley Mikado with his coffee this morning so it looks like he's not in the squad.

None of that makes any sense to me.

Ploise exploin ...

Eating biccies cos you're not in the squad. But it's ok - he squeezed onto the bench in the 23 geansaí so relax as you were.