@The-Irishman read what I wrote. I think I said Uruguay aren’t Ireland’s level but in certain facets of the game, they are similar, e.g. how they contest the breakdown and create messy, scrappy ball.
Ireland’s line out was much better last night, but they threw to the front a lot (safer ball) and trusted their phase play rather than attempting more risky line out calls.
@The-Irishman you’re right.
Let’s not discuss it. Ireland are the bestest at everything ever.
We shouldn’t bother even turning up.
@The-Irishman you will admit that against a premier line out team, the Boks, your line out had a shocker. Right?
ABs aren’t bad at lineouts and will look to put pressure on Irish ball and neutralise their maul. Not that dissimilar to what they did to Boks in NZ earlier this year.
@The-Irishman as for grasping at straws, will Irish fans not point out where they will look to gain an edge in ABs. Or are you that confident that no analysis or thought is required? 
@MajorRage the QF is Ireland’s final. New territory after that and all whole different set of challenges to maintain performance levels.
You can sense Irish confidence. And why shouldn’t they given they have won 17 straight games. Just a reminder to Irish fans that this is what you termed “Kiwi arrogance” when the ABs dominated and AB fans were confident of winning - against any foe, anywhere.
The team aren’t arrogant. No more than AB teams have been. Irish fans have the swagger right now.
Hope the crown feels good, you arrogant, cheating fluffy bunnies
@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Going to be a looooong week
It is going to be a longer 4 years if we fucking lose the QF.
Painful too if we read the NH media.
@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@MajorRage the QF is Ireland’s final. New territory after that and all whole different set of challenges to maintain performance levels.
You can sense Irish confidence. And why shouldn’t they given they have won 17 straight games. Just a reminder to Irish fans that this is what you termed “Kiwi arrogance” when the ABs dominated and AB fans were confident of winning - against any foe, anywhere.
The team aren’t arrogant. No more than AB teams have been. Irish fans have the swagger right now.
Hope the crown feels good, you arrogant, cheating fluffy bunnies
If fully fit and no injuries I think Ireland can do it. Why? Because of the pool games. Pool A was effectively over after the first game which was basically to decide who topped the group. Everything else after that was just filler.
You guys haven't been tested since that 1st game and I think that will be monumental.
@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.
@The-Irishman where do you think Ireland have a weakness? Objectively if you can
@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.
That’s so bad it made me
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..
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 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.
@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!
@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 🤮
@taniwharugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
When's the team named?
This thread is gonna go all over shop this week.
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.
@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.
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."
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
Ooh complaining about it being unfair, mental weakness?
Sexcovkwomble said “We are delighted to win the pool. This is where we want to be now in a quarterfinal against the toughest opposition we could get,” Sexton said after their final pool match against the Scots.
“The way the draw was made three years ago, it turned out a bit unfair. It is the hand that we were dealt and we have to be ready for New Zealand next week.”
But probably just pointing to the fact he's a whiny fluffybunny. We can whine, we're fans, he's Pro and should be above that
@reprobate said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
- 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.
- 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.
- discipline. it's hard enough to beat them without going down to 14 men.
One thing I noticed watching Jocks go down, was how often an Irish tackler hangs on by tackled player’s foot, thus placing him full length right behind attacking ruck. They roll away lethargically sometimes away from halfback and sometimes towards him.
For example, at 11.38 Irish 5 rolls back into Price’s feet.
All teams do it but I’m sure Paddies in double figures, so a tactic.
For me it’s an automatic penalty unless obvious that genuine attempt made to avoid disruption.
Rassie video required?
@pakman said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@reprobate said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
- 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.
- 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.
- discipline. it's hard enough to beat them without going down to 14 men.
One thing I noticed watching Jocks go down, was how often an Irish tackler hangs on by tackled player’s foot, thus placing him full length right behind attacking ruck. They roll away lethargically sometimes away from halfback and sometimes towards him.
For example, at 11.38 Irish 5 rolls back into Price’s feet.
All teams do it but I’m sure Paddies in double figures, so a tactic.
For me it’s an automatic penalty unless obvious that genuine attempt made to avoid disruption.
Rassie video required?
I think we just need to exaggerate the effect it has....eg Sexton being tripped after the ball was out.
How the game will be played will depend heavily on who has the whistle....
I suspect we will have an Englishmen or Frenchmen....excluding Barnes...that would mean we're in trouble before we even get on the field
@rustycruiser you assume you’ll win your semi
@taniwharugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
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."
Hardly a song about Irish unity and creativity! As has been pointed out, "Ireland are very metronomic and robotic in how they play" so strange then the Irish fans have borrowed it (but the history and controversy is interesting if you look it up)...
What can the AB fans do? A reverse chant, borrowed from Georgie G and the Wattles?
"Four more years
Four more years
Get on the beers
You'll need four more years"
.
@stodders said in All Blacks 2023:
Ireland haven’t been behind so far in this World Cup, have they? We don’t know how they react to scoreboard pressure.
So this is the straw we need to grasp? That unlike Ireland the ABs know how to lose and get dominated on a regular basis?! Well, that really puts my mind at rest, I'm sure?!
@pakman yeah they do all that right on the fringes, slowly.
Probably the smartest team going at present, gaming the rules to perfection, but its thier discipline to stay in thier systems that separates them, thier excellent rushing d-line is almost always off side, but with a whole line of players moving at the same time it is alot harder to see (although surely the AR should pick this easier than the ref in his peripheral)
