Official Rugby Thread

[Burgey]

even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport closely, you can’t help but feel that Ireland-NZ result is one of those rare seismic sporting results. Genuinely one of the great sporting dynasties

 

[Howe_zat]

Bad news for those who dislike Marcus Smith hype

Might have to get used to it

 

[BoyBrumby]

even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport closely, you can’t help but feel that Ireland-NZ result is one of those rare seismic sporting results. Genuinely one of the great sporting dynasties

Yup.

Pretty impossible to overstate just how rare test series wins in NZ actually are. Just beating them in a test is very special; Ireland hadn't ever done that before 2016, in fact.

And now yer Micks have as many test series wins in NZ as the British and Irish Lions, and the latter haven't managed it since before even I was born.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport closely, you can’t help but feel that Ireland-NZ result is one of those rare seismic sporting results. Genuinely one of the great sporting dynasties

These sides have won test series in NZ:

1937 Springboks
1949 Wallabies*
1971 Lions
1986 Wallabies
1994 French
2022 Irish

*This was a B team for the ABs plus good Maori players. The 30ish best white players were touring South Africa at the same time.

We also lost to SA and Australia at home in 1998 when we lost 5 in a row (I remember it like yesterday!), but that was part of the Tri Nations (not a bilateral test series).

 

[social]

lol

Finish sums rugby up

 

[weeman27bob]

I didn't think the referee had a great time in the England vs. Australia game, but definitely an enjoyable but scrappy game to watch

 

[social]

It was crap and sums the game up

Compare that **** show to Wednesday night

This is why the game is dying here

Best player in the series was a Fijian league player

Just awful

 

[Flem274*]

Cane is not a leader and under his captaincy we've seen continued dreadful performances that we haven't seen in a long time. He has to pay the price for that as does Foster in my opinion. Savea to 7, plenty of options at 8.

The man is literally the definition of tackles and workrate. Even if you were to drop our best defender bar Savea in the forwards, it would be Dalton to 7 imo and a dual jackal role.

Our issue is no attacking structure, chopped and changed midfield and a lesser front row overall at scrum time for 3 years. The players are largely irrelevant atm.

Ireland are equally talented but also play more rugby than counter attack, so they were always slight faves imo.

 

[BoyBrumby]

This is why the game is dying here

Dying enough to fill out the SCG. 43k not a bad attendance for a sport on its last legs, IMHO.

 

[andruid]

Thank goodness rugbyvfans don't sing 'It's coming home'

 

[Howe_zat]

Big **** you to the England cricket team for the rugby side to win at the SCG at the first attempt.

Meanwhile, SA restore order. 6-5 to the collective tourists at this stage.

 

[Howe_zat]

Chile beat USA by 1 point over two legs with a win in Colorado.

First time they'll be at a world cup and will go into a pool with England, Japan and entertainingly, Argentina - I think the only tier 1 team tha they've ever played before. The Americans have to get past Portgual, Kenya and HK in the repechage.

Could be the first world cup since 1987 not to feature the USA, and could be the first to feature neither them nor Canada.

 

[jcas0167]

These sides have won test series in NZ:

1937 Springboks
1949 Wallabies*
1971 Lions
1986 Wallabies
1994 French
2022 Irish

*This was a B team for the ABs plus good Maori players. The 30ish best white players were touring South Africa at the same time.

We also lost to SA and Australia at home in 1998 when we lost 5 in a row (I remember it like yesterday!), but that was part of the Tri Nations (not a bilateral test series).

And 1937 was apparently the last time a touring side won the series after losing the first test. Great performance by Ireland.

 

[James]

The man is literally the definition of tackles and workrate. Even if you were to drop our best defender bar Savea in the forwards, it would be Dalton to 7 imo and a dual jackal role.

I don't disagree that he gives his best , but his best isn't good enough for the All Blacks and especially as captain. To me, you pick your best 15 (23) and then choose the captain. Not trying to slot in a specialist captain who isn't the best player in the country in his position.

I'm beginning to think BB is not the first five we need him to be either. In the DC days , he was a fantastic off the bench player , but doesn't seem to have the kicking ability that is needed and what we've seen from the other first fives over the this winter series. There's a lot of work for the NZRU and will be interesting to see what happens next. Can anyone see them beating SA in SA which would then see 6 losses from their past 7 games ?

Perhaps expectations are just too high now and the realisation that we're a mid level rugby nation with France, South Africa, England, Ireland all well ahead.

 

[Flem274*]

I don't disagree that he gives his best , but his best isn't good enough for the All Blacks and especially as captain. To me, you pick your best 15 (23) and then choose the captain. Not trying to slot in a specialist captain who isn't the best player in the country in his position.

I'm beginning to think BB is not the first five we need him to be either. In the DC days , he was a fantastic off the bench player , but doesn't seem to have the kicking ability that is needed and what we've seen from the other first fives over the this winter series. There's a lot of work for the NZRU and will be interesting to see what happens next. Can anyone see them beating SA in SA which would then see 6 losses from their past 7 games ?

Perhaps expectations are just too high now and the realisation that we're a mid level rugby nation with France, South Africa, England, Ireland all well ahead.

You can pick anyone you want, nothing will change if the attack structures do not. You bring up the 10 thing again - BB and Mo'unga can't do **** when their options are pass to flat footed stationary man, run at rush defence or kick over it.

Our defence is actually pretty good, and I feel like we should have conceded more points than we have since 2019. Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Sam Cane, Sam Whitelock and Ardie Savea in particular are brick walls and even smaller guys like Sevu Reece have been notably solid.

 

[Niall]

even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport closely, you can’t help but feel that Ireland-NZ result is one of those rare seismic sporting results. Genuinely one of the great sporting dynasties

Ireland generally do well throughout the year, but oh boy the world cup is a different matter.

They play NZ/France in the quarter finals next year, and while its obviously not a foregone conclusion, they will be outsiders against both for sure.

 

[ashley bach]

Ireland generally do well throughout the year, but oh boy the world cup is a different matter.

They play NZ/France in the quarter finals next year, and while its obviously not a foregone conclusion, they will be outsiders against both for sure.

If ***ton can hold on for one final dig, they may be a much better chance than you think.

 

[Burgey]

Ireland generally do well throughout the year, but oh boy the world cup is a different matter.

They play NZ/France in the quarter finals next year, and while its obviously not a foregone conclusion, they will be outsiders against both for sure.

Well sure, but a series win in NZ is monumental for anyone. Just bask in it.

 

[the big bambino]

Dying enough to fill out the SCG. 43k not a bad attendance for a sport on its last legs, IMHO.

Maybe but how many were touring fans? Perhaps it was irrelevant number but I recall seeing the Lions v Brumbies at Canberra and the crowd then was significantly boosted by touring fans. Rugby admin here has done its best do alienate fans almost as if it was a KPI. I wouldn't say its dying here but its the least popular code and has greater chance of failing over succeeding so they'd want to be judicious. I hope I'm not being indulgent saying my preferred code is league but did once play and support rugby. I much prefer watching and supporting the socceroos now and not caring too much about the wallabies. Of course I'm not saying my story is an example but the game has lost fans here and I don't think rugby in Oz are overly concerned with finding out why.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Australia has a golden chance for rugby's popularity to grow:

-Perfect chance to finally get the Bledisloe back
-Lions tour to Oz in 2025 will be massive (although it will be am absolutely stacked team and very hard to beat)
-2027 RWC will be even bigger