Ireland to complete the SANZAR Hatrick?

Has a NH side ever defeated SA, NZ and Australia in the same calendar year? My guess is no. Anyone know?

On the 26th November Ireland get a change to complete this feat when they take on Australia in Lansdowne road. Jerome Garces on the whistle. Will they do it? If they do each of their wins will have been reffed by French men, Reynal having reffed the previous two. Allez les bleu.

Recent record in Dublin:

22 November 2014 Aviva Stadium, Dublin 26 – 23 Ireland 2014 Autumn International
16 November 2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin 15 – 32 Australia 2013 Autumn International
15 November 2009 Croke Park, Dublin 20 – 20  draw 2009 Autumn International
19 November 2006 Lansdowne Road        21 – 6 Ireland 2006 Autumn International

Statistically Ireland do better v Australia in November series when then play them in one of the last games. Australia may be tired after taking on France and Scotland. I forsee Ireland winning this one.

We dont play Argentina this year so dont get the chance to play for the SANZAAR grand slam. Maybe its just as well as Argentina schooled us last year.

Possible only possible.

I suppose the spanner in the works is the team the players have to prepare for and play in advance. Schmidt and the players won't want to be humiliated by the ABs in that second game. They won't want to be humiliated and they'll really want to try for a second win (which would be like New Year's Day celebrations)
So I'm sure preparing for both the ABs and Australia requires a great degree of specific detail. So I'm not so sure how much thought the Irish are giving to preparing for the particular threats the Aussies provide this time round. Their minds have been on the ABs for a long time, as Trimble alluded to.

England did it prior to winning the world cup. They put 50 odd points on SA and took down the Aussies and the All Blacks at Twickers, it was during the period they were unbeaten and won 14 consecutive games against the Aussies, SA and NZ between 2000 and 2003.

That included away wins against all 3 to

We know wrfc. But thanks for the reminder all the same, you smug git...

Just replying to guns question, maybe I didn't need to mention the 14 consecutive wins and 50 point drubbing of SA though, Ill accept smug git for that.

wrfc1980 wrote:England did it prior to winning the world cup. They put 50 odd points on SA and took down the Aussies and the All Blacks at Twickers, it was during the period they were unbeaten and won 14 consecutive games against the Aussies, SA and NZ between 2000 and 2003.

Very impressive stats, they beat all 3 on consecutive weekends in 2002 at Twickenham, then beat all 3 on the road in 2003. (NZ and Aus on tour, then SA and Oz again at the RWC.)

In a way it was impressive but in an opposite logic world it wasn't impressive. Bear with me, don't lynch me!

For England were - at the time - the best side in the World and simply...... wait for it, wait for it............... proving it.

The likes of Woodward have always stated if you can clock up wins against those three then you are on to something with where your team can go, always remember him saying it was a catalyst for their RWC win

If they can beat the Aussies and at least run the ABs close again then win the 6 Nations then we will all get excited but given the depth Joe is creating and the overall age profile then its a team that can do great things

But didn't they become the best by beating all the rest?

wrfc1980 wrote:England did it prior to winning the world cup. They put 50 odd points on SA and took down the Aussies and the All Blacks at Twickers, it was during the period they were unbeaten and won 14 consecutive games against the Aussies, SA and NZ between 2000 and 2003.

In the same calendar year?

Belated congratulations to Ireland and their fans for last weekend's historic victory. Thoroughly deserved.
One slightly negative for me, was that it happened in a neutral country not during a RWC.
I can't help but feel that the Irish fans at home perhaps deserved to see it live after suffering for so long.

GG see my post 4 before yours.

goneagain wrote:But didn't they become the best by beating all the rest?

Yeah  But still the logic is that they beat all the rest, repeatedly, not because they were playing above themselves but because they were a better side.  Rather like New Zealand beating Australia and a few others.

But of course, I'm only doing a logic exercise.  It was a bloody good run and yep, any side would love a run like that, plus the old WC thrown in as a bonus

goneagain wrote:Belated congratulations to Ireland and their fans for last weekend's historic victory. Thoroughly deserved.
One slightly negative for me, was that it happened in a neutral country not during a RWC.
I can't help but feel that the Irish fans at home perhaps deserved to see it live after suffering for so long.

GG see my post 4 before yours.

That old Chaos butterfly might have conspired against us then though, geonagain. No I wouldn't tempt fate. Ireland won it where they won it, it was meant to be in that moment in time. Had the game been in Ireland, the result might have been different.

goneagain wrote:Belated congratulations to Ireland and their fans for last weekend's historic victory. Thoroughly deserved.
One slightly negative for me, was that it happened in a neutral country not during a RWC.
I can't help but feel that the Irish fans at home perhaps deserved to see it live after suffering for so long.

GG see my post 4 before yours.

Cool fair enough. thought England had done it but thought it was spread out over two years. They were mighty back then particularly in their series win in NZ.

It would be another nice feather in the cap. The big one was beating NZ but this would be another nice little achievement. It would be good for northern hemisphere rugby too after the disaster that was the world cup.


I heard an interesting stat. If Ireland empty the bench against Canada - which looks likely - it will mean a total of 18 new caps this year. Last year there were just 3 new caps. Some of those newly capped was down to the squad being stretched but most of them have improved the squad.

profitius wrote:It would be another nice feather in the cap. The big one was beating NZ but this would be another nice little achievement. It would be good for northern hemisphere rugby too after the disaster that was the world cup.


I heard an interesting stat. If Ireland empty the bench against Canada - which looks likely - it will mean a total of 18 new caps this year. Last year there were just 3 new caps. Some of those newly capped was down to the squad being stretched but most of them have improved the squad.

Last year was a WC year though. Why would you have 18 new caps. It wouldnt make much sense IMO. I think in general as a coach Schmidt has capped on average more players and brought in more squad rotation than other Irish coaches.

He capped 12 and 13 in 2013 and 2014.

.... To go along with his conclusion after that first tight ABs loss in 2013.....  He said it.  The conclusion at the time was: "I need more players - about 30 genuine options." (paraphrasing his comments to a New Zealand journalist)
I'd assume the WC had exposed to him in a cruel way that the job isn't done - and he seems in a rush now to have a bigger genuine squad ready for next WC.  That we fell apart when we lost a few key players kinda probably haunts him in a professional sense.

Ireland will win their remaining Autumn Internationals and the all their Six Nations games next year and their tests in US and Japan.

It's RWC 2019 we should be focussing on really when the "Ireland" SANZAR squad appears in Japan led by Stander, Payne, Aki, Heenan, Manama, McCartney, Marshall, Ah You, Hebst, Ili, Poolman, Jamison Park, Toma, Bleyendaal, Roux, Kleyn,, Ludik, coached by Schmidt, Farrell, Feek and Lancaster.

That'll be the real hat-trick.

It would be great, if for once, the Home Nations, come off with big wins at home this November. It has been a long time. Ireland have made a terrific start by winning in Chicago, but now have to do it again at home. And that may be much harder than the first time. Certainly this raised interest just a wee bit more everywhere.

2006 and 2009 is recent?

Sorry, question answered already above.

I meant all the Home nations having a big November. Includes taking down the ABs, too.

Yes it would be great if the home nations can put in a strong showing for a change. Ireland have already made the strongest possible start. I'm hoping Wales can put last weekend behind them although the pumas will be tough opponents. The Scotland match should be a cracker but the Aussies will be feeling confident after last week. In the other code Scotland got an unlikely draw out of New Zealand in the four nations so perhaps they can inspire their union counterparts. I'm never confident when England take on South Africa but reading Biltongs comments is giving me some comfort. In any event we have a great day of rugby to look forward to.