RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland

[stodders]

@The-Irishman ABs weren’t tested in 2015 after the first Argentina pool game. Worked out ok

Yes, 2015 team were much better than 2023 vintage, but just pointing out that a lack of tough pool matches doesn’t always mean you aren’t prepared for the knockout stages.

Ireland will be playing their third big game in 4 weeks. It takes a fair amount of energy to maintain peak performance and mental edge. Just to counter the strong pool argument.

At the end of the day, we don’t know who has been best served by their respective pools. The battle hardened, potentially less fresh Irish or the battle light, potentially more fresh ABs? Roll on Saturday.

[stodders]

@The-Irishman where do you think Ireland have a weakness? Objectively if you can

[Stargazer]

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

Swap Havili for Kirifi and send him out on a mission.

Yep, call him up before this weekend's NPC semifinal. :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:
Just to let him hold the tackle pads though.

[DaGrubster]

@Billy-Tell

That’s so bad it made me

[W32]

NZ win coming up. Ireland look tired and the players don’t have the belief in the biggest arena yet wheels to come off in a spectacular way..

[pakman]

Irish injury list: Hansen, Henshaw, Lowe, Earls, Ryan. All quite doubtful, according to Irish media.

[pakman]

Lots will swing on ref. If English Luke Pearce, please. Raynal ahead of Barnes etc..

[Bones]

Barnes please.

This is all about redemption.

[Joans Town Jones]

I've been giving Foster shit the last 4 years. He's useless. Nothing has persuaded me any different and I expect to lose bad in the QF but phuck it. Less goooo. I believe we have better players. Ireland are the better team. They do their job perfectly. We know how to beat them. It's now time to put the plan into play. Ireland are very metronomic and robotic in how they play. We've not seen a rush D from us yet. Maybe by design. I think it's the penalties that will undo us. We need to be massively agressive but if they give away penalties doing do the it's going to be a loooooong night. Big exits. No miracle balls in the red zone and just hammer 9/10 all day.

[taniwharugby]

When's the team named?

This thread is gonna go all over shop this week.

[Bones]

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

When's the team named?

This thread is gonna go all over shop this week.

Fucking bullshit . Fozzie apologist.

[Machpants]

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

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

When's the team named?

This thread is gonna go all over shop this week.

Fucking bullshit . Fozzie apologist.

You've got FDS, you need to take your negativity (and any semblance of reality) out of this thread!

[Bones]

@Machpants I know Taukeiaho and Roigard were blooded into the team and the system like the best ever, you won't see better. Plus Taylor rediscovered his form as a result of Taukeiaho being given extremely limited game time, plus we got to see Christie really isn't up to it because he got so much game time

But 🤮

[Victor Meldrew]

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

When's the team named?

This thread is gonna go all over shop this week.

[game_film]

I’m just looking forward to the images of Sexton on the bench in the 72nd minute, with his eyes glazed over, channeling 2007 DC with a thousand-yard stare.

[nzzp]

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

I’m just looking forward to the images of Sexton on the bench in the 72nd minute, with his eyes glazed over, channeling 2007 DC with a thousand-yard stare.

would this be the biggest choke ever if Ireland continued to never win a knockout game with this team, and this level of international dominance?

Let's go Black - hoping for the best, but fearful of what a properly disciplined team will do against us.

[reprobate]

1. the ruck. this is where they are the best in the world. We need to disrupt without being penalised, and stop them from doing the same to us. Ireland have realised that rucks are more frequent than any other contest for possession, and the biggest source of turnovers and penalties in almost every single game, and this is where their focus is. i find it really disturbing that so many comments above on 'how we can win it' talk about every bloody other thing and don't mention this: everything else is secondary.
2. they obstruct terribly and get away with it, and chase well when the ball is in the air. this is the other area where they are clearly better than us, and it ought to be brought up with the referees in advance and worked on heavily by us, as it isn't that hard - just needs people to know what their roles are.
3. discipline. it's hard enough to beat them without going down to 14 men.

[taniwharugby]

Hope they realised how thier lack of physicality was a major issue then, as it has been on and mostly off for the past 4 years.

There is a special line from Retallick in this for you @mariner4life

Retallick says he has enjoyed the atmosphere the Irish fans have brought to the tournament, particularly the renditions of the 1990s pop song 'Zombie'.

"I think that's one of the awesome parts about a World Cup, the enthusiasm the crowd bring," he added. "I've seen them singing the Cranberries, it's a great song, but hopefully they're not singing it on Saturday."

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rugby-world-cup-2023/2023/10/rugby-world-cup-semi-final-defeat-four-years-ago-motivation-for-all-blacks-in-blockbuster-knockout-against-ireland.html

[reprobate]

when sexton starts choking and missing kicks i could handle an 'in your head, in your heeeaad" or two.
still a shit song though.

[ACT Crusader]

Give 110 percent
Leave it all on the field
Play for the jersey
Do it for the people back home
Play with a chip on your shoulder
Get stuck in

It’s the best sporting cliches that really matter