Tour to NZ 2022

[riocard911]

Sure, NZ are gonna come at us like a ton of bricks, as there's always a backlash whenever they lose a fixture in a Test series. This might however be a game NZ don't 100% absolutely, definitely "have to win", if it means losing allows them to dump Ian Foster and bring in Scott Robertson as head coach. NZ want primarily and above all else to win the RWC. A first series loss to Ireland might be a means to that end. Certainly the question of the best coaching ticket for France 2023 will be on everyone's mind in the NZ camp this week and next Saturday. You can take that to the bank, IMO.

https://youtu.be/fRF8yWSelWw

[Dexter]

Have a look at Lowe for the second Irish try and you'll see what he does that's almost impossible to replace. Comes in field as first receiver to give Sexton the second receiver position. Sexton hits Aki and eventually Lowe gets the ball again in the centre of the field making another two yards. He also bullocks into two rucks in that period too.

He's an extra back rower at times.

He also won the ball for the last Sexton penalty from the kick off.

He defended exactly how you'd want him to for the last NZ try, came up with the line, trusted his inside man and covered the winger. Carbery missed tackle meant there was a 2 on 1.

Lowe and Hansen are our starting 11/14 for now and rightly so because both offer playmaking ability that no other winger in Ireland does.

Lowe also had to come inside to clean up Carberys' mess. Nailed the tackle too but the pass was away.

[Dexter]

I rewatched the first half there, and it is staggering how much Peyper missed or chose not to see. We won, so i'm going to have a real b*tch and moan about it.

1] The ruck clearout/tackle by Papali'i on Porter was called by Dickson on the side line;
2] the TMO called the Fainga'anuka charge into Hansen;
3] the TMO called the early tackle on Ringrose; and
4] Dickson called the jumping across/aerial contact by Retallick.

That's four penalties in forty minutes, all in Ireland's favour, which he didn't see and wasn't going to give. His first take on the Ta'avao red card was 'just a rugby collision' – luckily he changed his mind when he saw the replay.

For the JVDF offside at the scrum, Ardie Savea broke his bind and re-engaged. A bind is defined as "Grasping another player’s body firmly between the shoulders and the hips with the whole arm in contact from hand to shoulder." [source: https://d26phqdbpt0w91.cloudfront.net/N ... 6dfa08.pdf - p.17]

Yes, it's a technicality, but our players know the law better than the refs do – vis JVDF breaking off the scrum when Savea broke his bind this week, and James Ryan coming through on Aaron Smith when Smith rolled the ball back with his hand in the caterpillar ruck last week.

He went back for a TMO-called knock on [Retallick snagging JGP] when he had seen it, called it backwards and told the players to play on. The TMO can't do that, and the ref shouldn't listen to him. The TMO's input is limited to:

"a. The grounding of the ball in in-goal.
b. Touch or touch-in-goal in the act of grounding the ball or the ball being made dead.
c. Where there is doubt as to whether a kick at goal has been successful.
d. Where match officials believe an infringement may have occurred in the playing area leading to a try or preventing a try.
e. Foul play, including sanctions." [source: https://d26phqdbpt0w91.cloudfront.net/N ... 6dfa08.pdf - p.43]

Basically, getting the right decisions on scoring and foul play.

I accept that some of that is nit-picking, but I'm only talking about forty minutes of rugby, and it's an absolute mistake-fest, all of them against us. I've got a pretty big issue with his basic level of competency and his quite obvious favouritism to New Zealand.

EDIT: on the 5m lineout in the first half where we mauled round the back and went to ground [about 17'], Codie Taylor drags JVDF 5m out of the back of the maul and trips him on to the ground. You can't drag anybody out of the maul, it's a penalty. Doing it so incredibly obviously - like a showcase of not what to do for a demonstration video – just highlighted that Peyper either doesn't know the law or referees the two teams to different standards.

Barnes is both a homer and a politician. We can expect him to cop out of a stack of decisions. They will be able to get brutal with impunity, because Wayne won't want to "ruin the spectacle".

Christ, is it Barnes next week? NZ fans probably not happy either tbf.

[riocard911]

Barnsey owes us one after Marseille.....

[Barry]

Our biggest problem is having a game on Tuesday, NZ can just concentrate on the 3rd test.
If there's a better player in world rugby (based on 2022 form) than VDF??
Can't think of any

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[sunshiner1]

by Barry

If there's a better player in world rugby (based on 2022 form) than VDF??
Can't think of any

He's called Jonathan Sexton.

[OTT]

The difference in the way Farrell came out last week and how Ian Foster has reacted speaks volumes for each of them as men.

https://twitter.com/rugbypass/status/15 ... sfhzGIRfjQ

[Oldschoolsocks]

The difference in the way Farrell came out last week and how Ian Foster has reacted speaks volumes for each of them as men.

https://twitter.com/rugbypass/status/15 ... sfhzGIRfjQ

Whingeing Kiwis

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The difference in the way Farrell came out last week and how Ian Foster has reacted speaks volumes for each of them as men.

https://twitter.com/rugbypass/status/15 ... sfhzGIRfjQ

Same attitude as his captain. There are times when you can be bitter to try and fire yourself up for the next game but this shouldn’t be one of them, their discipline is just shite and that’s on them and nobody else.

[ronk]

They tried to put 15 players on the pitch and it backfired. Kinda. They got away with an extra player for a crucial period, they got a nice delay after a period when they'd been short and they got reasonable enough ref sympathy that we got a few penalties and a yellow card.

But trying to sneak players onto the pitch is also one way to hugely p1$$ off a ref and their team.

[Oldschool]

Don't watch "Super" Rugby so just wondering is NZ Club Rugby aa violent as their international version.
Barnes usually is quite tough on foul play and will be forewarned.
Will their be any citings coming NZ's way?

[Oldschoolsocks]

Interesting take from a kiwi YouTuber on differences in Super Rugby and NH refereeing

https://youtu.be/7dSbe5bOhQ4

Basically, SR refs are shite and don’t really protect the players…

[Ruckedtobits]

Last weekend we produced about 55 mins of highly competent football. Unfortunately, we also displayed 15 minutes of lost focus and mistake ridden dross. Of our 55 mins decent content, about 15 was excellent and definitely dis-commoded our hosts and we scored two superb tries.

Can we eradicate the poor 15 minutes and stretch the excellent 15 to 30 minutes? If we can, and I certainly believe it's possible, we can make the 2nd Test a real contest. There has been some excellent analysis of what we did very well (particularly from Murray Kinsella) but perhaps a little too much finger-pointing at who made mistakes during the bad 15 mins and how costly the mistakes were.

I hope that Farrell, PO'C and Catt have focused the Squad this week on the parts where we were good, but not precise enough, to create chances but not take them. Of the tries we conceded, possibly only one was a result of unstoppable NZ brilliance, the others were uncharacteristic mistakes from Ireland. Equally, it wouldn't take anything extraordinary for more of our attacking play to be converted to four or more tries.

I believe that next Saturday will be hugely dependent on Ireland regaining our confidence to attack NZ, like in the first quarter but also defend against them in the manner we did last November. It is possible but it will need leadership and belief.

Two days before the 2nd Test, I believed that the contest between the two teams was as much about belief as ability. Fortunately Andy Farrell and his coaching colleagues and leadership group, including J10 and PO'M, clearly showed that they had the confidence, belief and talent to beat NZ and demonstrated just how on Saturday morning.

Next Saturday morning will be akin to a RWC semi-final. We've finally achieved a victory that previous Irish teams aspired to and put themselves in a position to accomplish, only to fall at the final hurdle. Now that we have beaten NZ at home and have the certainty that despite their greater strength in depth, we actually have a Squad who needn't fear anything that their opponents of the moment can offer, we must complete the task and win the Series.

Farrell, O'Connell, Sexton and O'Mahony know that what happens in Wellington will be about what state are the "top four inches" of all of those involved. They will not ignore the desperation within the NZ Squad, a Captain playing for his very future as an AB; possibly missing their two talismanic second-rows with concussion; a No 8 who believes he could have salvaged something if he hadn't been substituted and a further litany of Squad members who fear that their professional futures face a 'clean sweep' if this Coaching Ticket is dismantled following a Series loss at home.

In any sporting country, any of these factors would be a huge motivation. In NZ, they are almost akin to life or death propositions. Their beloved national team was humiliated at home last weekend. Any form of victory will provide some redemption and they won't care how it is achieved, brutally, illegally or otherwise. These are now a cornered, desperate pack of wolves and they will react by attacking, violently and repeatedly.

Ireland will be ready. Of that I am certain. But it will be a furiously violent response from NZ - remember the riposte in the Aviva shortly after the Chicago win. Saturday in Wellington will be no place for the faint-hearted.

But Ireland can do it, if we have our ruthless, single-minded focus, like Twickenham 2018. Not easy and certainly not pretty, but definitely possible.

[wixfjord]

NZ will be a very different team next weekend than they were this weekend.

Whitelock will likely be back which would be a big boost.

Jordan will surely start also.

Havili could also come in at 12.

Wouldn't be surprised if they brought in Perenara too. Fakatava was pretty poor coming in for last 20.

[Dave Cahill]

NZ will be a very different team next weekend than they were this weekend.

Whitelock will likely be back which would be a big boost.

Jordan will surely start also.

Havili could also come in at 12.

Wouldn't be surprised if they brought in Perenara too. Fakatava was pretty poor coming in for last 20.

TJ is down to start for the Maori, though that doesnt mean he won't be pulled from that

I'm glad Barnes is reffing - New Zealand's typlcal response to losing a test in a series is violence

[riocard911]

Last weekend we produced about 55 mins of highly competent football. Unfortunately, we also displayed 15 minutes of lost focus and mistake ridden dross. Of our 55 mins decent content, about 15 was excellent and definitely dis-commoded our hosts and we scored two superb tries.

Can we eradicate the poor 15 minutes and stretch the excellent 15 to 30 minutes? If we can, and I certainly believe it's possible, we can make the 2nd Test a real contest. There has been some excellent analysis of what we did very well (particularly from Murray Kinsella) but perhaps a little too much finger-pointing at who made mistakes during the bad 15 mins and how costly the mistakes were.

I hope that Farrell, PO'C and Catt have focused the Squad this week on the parts where we were good, but not precise enough, to create chances but not take them. Of the tries we conceded, possibly only one was a result of unstoppable NZ brilliance, the others were uncharacteristic mistakes from Ireland. Equally, it wouldn't take anything extraordinary for more of our attacking play to be converted to four or more tries.

I believe that next Saturday will be hugely dependent on Ireland regaining our confidence to attack NZ, like in the first quarter but also defend against them in the manner we did last November. It is possible but it will need leadership and belief.

Two days before the 2nd Test, I believed that the contest between the two teams was as much about belief as ability. Fortunately Andy Farrell and his coaching colleagues and leadership group, including J10 and PO'M, clearly showed that they had the confidence, belief and talent to beat NZ and demonstrated just how on Saturday morning.

Next Saturday morning will be akin to a RWC semi-final. We've finally achieved a victory that previous Irish teams aspired to and put themselves in a position to accomplish, only to fall at the final hurdle. Now that we have beaten NZ at home and have the certainty that despite their greater strength in depth, we actually have a Squad who needn't fear anything that their opponents of the moment can offer, we must complete the task and win the Series.

Farrell, O'Connell, Sexton and O'Mahony know that what happens in Wellington will be about what state are the "top four inches" of all of those involved. They will not ignore the desperation within the NZ Squad, a Captain playing for his very future as an AB; possibly missing their two talismanic second-rows with concussion; a No 8 who believes he could have salvaged something if he hadn't been substituted and a further litany of Squad members who fear that their professional futures face a 'clean sweep' if this Coaching Ticket is dismantled following a Series loss at home.

In any sporting country, any of these factors would be a huge motivation. In NZ, they are almost akin to life or death propositions. Their beloved national team was humiliated at home last weekend. Any form of victory will provide some redemption and they won't care how it is achieved, brutally, illegally or otherwise. These are now a cornered, desperate pack of wolves and they will react by attacking, violently and repeatedly.

Ireland will be ready. Of that I am certain. But it will be a furiously violent response from NZ - remember the riposte in the Aviva shortly after the Chicago win. Saturday in Wellington will be no place for the faint-hearted.

But Ireland can do it, if we have our ruthless, single-minded focus, like Twickenham 2018. Not easy and certainly not pretty, but definitely possible.

Agree with all of this, I just wonder to what degree the NZ players actually believe in their head coach anymore, as that too can affect motivation on the day.

[wixfjord]

NZ will be a very different team next weekend than they were this weekend.

Whitelock will likely be back which would be a big boost.

Jordan will surely start also.

Havili could also come in at 12.

Wouldn't be surprised if they brought in Perenara too. Fakatava was pretty poor coming in for last 20.

TJ is down to start for the Maori, though that doesnt mean he won't be pulled from that

I'm glad Barnes is reffing - New Zealand's typlcal response to losing a test in a series is violence

Yes I saw that, which is actually why I think he may come back in.

Give him 40-45 from the start on a Tuesday and bring him back in for the Saturday bench?

Personally I'd be way more concerned with Weber/Perenara in the 21 jersey on Sat compared to Fakatava. He really looked overawed yesterday imo. His first kick to Keenan in the back field was a good example.

[enby]

No prizes for predicting that JS10 will receive some late hits. Hopefully Barnes will give him proper protection.
Having Barnes as ref should give us an advantage as surely both the coaching team and the players know what to expect from him. Vital that JS doesn't get in his ear too much. Equally vital that POM calls out any messing from NZ in scrum or lineout.

[Cheeses of Nazareth]

Need to call Barnes attention to NZ crossing the gap at the lineout every time which is making it a mess.

[MylesNaGapoleen]

Need to call Barnes attention to NZ crossing the gap at the lineout every time which is making it a mess.

Barnes? What? don't tell me he's the ref next week? please no.

NZ were doing that lineout encroachment yesterday too without penalty. I do hope we fix the lineout before next week.