Ireland v New Zealand

First topic message reminder :

Right what's done is done regarding Aus. Time to move on and look forward to the ABs. This could be one to watch from behind the couch.

I don't expect any major changes in the team. Murray for Redden being the only obvious change, possibly at tighthead, possibly in the second row. Sexton is doubtful, maybe Earls is available.

My only expectation for this game is for an improved performance as the required level of aggressiveness was just non existent last Saturday. Otherwise we are looking at some hammering.

Without stating the obvious...I would like to see our players try to copy the All Blacks in certain aspects of the game. Namely
1. Passing the ball to another Irish player who is moving forwards and preferably in space
2. When running with the ball try to avoid the opposition players as much as possible instead of seeking out contact.
that is all.

Suas an bothair agus ar aghaidh an tarbh.

Updated with Teams
All Blacks
15 Dagg,14 jane, 13 B Smith, 12 Nonu, 11 Savea, 10 Cruden, 9 A Smith
8 Read, 7 McCaw, 6 Luatua, 5 Whitelock, , 4 Romano, 3 Faumoina, 2 Hore , 1 Crockett

Ireland
R Kearney; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross, D Toner, P O’Connell, P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip.
Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, D Fitzpatrick, M McCarthy, K McLaughlin, I Boss, I Madigan, L Fitzgerald.

New Zealand. Ooooft. No other team could have done that.

Ah, that famous silence at the aviva

Couldn't write this

WTF /headsgone.

mystiroakey wrote:how does he get another go??

its the rules. free option if he signals they are too early

Well done all blacks

Is this the greatest side or what. Come on cruden. Ireland silly for charging.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Massive balls

:'(

Pathetic.

drop me out.

I have the same feeling i had yesterday.

WELL PLAYED IRELAND.

but i think you got cheated tbh

my heart goes out. 22-22 would have been the right result

Taylorman wrote:Is this the greatest side or what. Come on cruden. Ireland silly for charging.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

You went very quiet for a while there Taylorman.

Gutted, absolutely gutted

Can not believe that!

Commiserations Ireland

Crucial missed kick from sexton

Awww Ireland!!! Gutted for the.guys and.fans. Deserved to win that...

WELL DONE NEW ZEALAND. Down for most of the game but never out of it. Given a sniff with just 30 seconds to go and they take it. That's why ABs are the best in the world. Unbeaten season.

Commiserations Ireland, you can take a lot of the performance even if it was not the result you wanted.

Sexton will have nightmares about this, had Madigan been on earlier Ireland would have won.

Gutted for you Ireland.   Superb match though. Be proud of that performance.

Wow, I'm shaking after watching that. A truly tremendous game. Epic rugby. Feel for Ireland

Jaysus, there probably won't be a more dramatic end in a lifetime!

Fantastic Ireland. How on earth we did that I don't know. 80 minutes game is such an understatement.get out of the century. Unbelievable.

Golden wrote:Crucial missed kick from sexton

absolutely. silly boy for trying to run the clock down - it clearly affected his own rythmn. would have been 8 points difference...

LuvSports! wrote:HE GETS ANOTHER GO?!?!?!

Irish charged down too early. Did it before after the NZ try too . WHAT A COMEBACK !! heartbreaking for the Irish they should have won that in all honesty. But great great comeback from the All blacks

why the FOOK did we kick away possesion 3-4 times in last 5mins?????????????????????????????????

Robbed. I mean really, truly robbed. Gutted for Ireland but I genuinely think this AB team is not going to win the next WC. They have an incredible ability to dig out results, but they're getting taken closer and closer by more and more teams.

Cruden shouldn't have got a second kick. If the first one had gone in Owens would have counted it, he should have blown the whistle previous to the kick and stopped Cruden, or counted the miss.

Well done New Zealand great year. Hard luck Ireland

Hope your not gonna blame Warren Gatland for Brian O'Driscoll going off

Both teams played their part in one of my favourite matches ever

What a game. Fantastic All Blacks. Unlucky Ireland.

Instead of the gamesmanship time wasting Sexton should have followed his usual routine for his pretty straightforward kick - that would have killed the game then. This game shows why NZ rules the roost, simple as.

Can't believe we lost that. Just sick.

You could not be closer.

Gutted for Ireland. That's ruined my evening

Hood83 wrote:

Taylorman wrote:Is this the greatest side or what. Come on cruden. Ireland silly for charging.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

You went very quiet for a while there Taylorman.

Yeah had to restart the heart.

Brilliant game of rugby.

Yep NZ have got out of jail the last 4 games if truth be told..

They are not that far ahead..

Taylorman wrote:Is this the greatest side or what. Come on cruden. Ireland silly for charging.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

The Kiwis were played off the field there, but were lucky that Sexton missed the penalty and that Cruden was given a second chance to kick.  Like the rugby league yesterday, it was luck that gave them a winning opportunity with little or no time left.

They did't deserve to lose that, but they can take some pride in that performance, no other team has pushed them that close all year. Thet was the hardest game they played, and should have lost, but thet is why this all blacks team are probably the greatest in history. Epic, epic game. I feel absolutely gutted for Ireland, they gave their all!

Hard luck Ireland. Not scoring in the few rare visits to the NZ half in the second half cost you. Needed just one more kick

Great disciple from NZ not to give Ireland more kicks at goal. What burning desire from NZ at the end. great game to watch

ALPanorak wrote:Instead of the gamesmanship time wasting Sexton should have followed his usual routine for his pretty straightforward kick - that would have killed the game then. This game shows why NZ rules the roost, simple as.

Yup

You have to feel sory for Ireland, so close to making history and yet they may as well have been a thousand mile away.

Well played NZ for making the come back that they did..Should Cruden have had that second kick at goal?

Surely Ireland will take a lot out of this game into the 6ns.

Irish Rugby... We are no hopers going in, give the performance of a decade and still stupidity at the end killed us.

6nations is gonna be huge..

Only saw the last 20 minutes, but I'm absolutely gutted for Ireland. Eerily similar to the RL yesterday.

Well done New Zealand - that's why they're champions, an unconquerable spirit.

what an epic match. well played ireland and NZ. that will hurt for a few days, maybe weeks, but after that they should take pride in the quality and ferocity of their play and really believe in themselves.

mystiroakey wrote:6nations is gonna be huge..

I'm worried about it already!

Taylorman wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

Taylorman wrote:Is this the greatest side or what. Come on cruden. Ireland silly for charging.

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

You went very quiet for a while there Taylorman.

Yeah had to restart the heart.

Haha, STAT! Fair enough  

My commisserations to Ireland, it was truly a game of inches.

That last penalty at the breakdown, the kick Sexton missed.

You can be very proud of your team, they lost badly to Australia and picked themselves up for this one.

It is heartbreaking to lose like this.

Congratulations to the All Blacks, your lerfect season nearly came undone, but you did it. A mark of a champion team.

Sexton took forever to take the peno! Writing was on the wall