'Beat NZ? I can't see it': Ireland written off ahead of World Cup quarter-final clash with All Blacks
How the world media reacted to the All Blacks‘ quarter-final draw against Ireland, and Japan beating Scotland.
Ireland v New Zealand quarter-final
It is a struggle to see how this Ireland team can topple a giant – by Shane Horgan of The Times
“Yesterday’s performance was better than the win over Russia but good enough to beat New Zealand or South Africa? I can’t see it.
“Usually, when two of the game’s Tier One nations, you can find one area of advantage which the weaker team on paper can leverage to secure a victory.
“Sometimes it’s something as simple as passion. In the case of this Ireland team up against the world champions or the Springboks next weekend, I’m struggling to identify that chink of opportunity.
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“That took a long time to yield dividends against Samoa so don’t expect it to do much better against the All Blacks.
“This is desperately disappointing because we have a flying machine and a world-class stepper. Neither quality is counting for very much because the pair just aren’t touching the ball enough.”
Why anybody would want suffocating rugby of the Irish to prevail over New Zealand is a mystery – By Stuart Barnes of The Times
“A giant green monster capable of sucking the very air out of a game of rugby. The incremental inch by inch of their pick and drive.
“The patience to pound forward, body length by body length. Leave the lightning footwork to others; CJ and co come at you front on and they keep coming. No wonder Joe Schmidt’s men have beaten the All Blacks twice in recent rugby history.
“For the most part they play a brand of rugby utterly alien to the wide-ranging ambition of the All Blacks. Why any neutral would want this percentage rugby to prevail over the panache of the defending champions is a mystery, other than everyone else’s chances rise when New Zealand fall.”
A mouth-watering Rugby World Cup quarter-final schedule should provide answers to one of the sport's enduring questions: Do teams get peak performance from a bye week or from regular games? #RWC2019 https://t.co/yAyoIVElM6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 13, 2019
We’ve seen nothing to suggest last-eight success – just the way Schmidt would want it – by Brendan Fanning of The Independent
“Nothing we’ve seen since the Scotland game would incline turf accountants towards making Ireland even money against New Zealand.
“That won’t bother him unduly. Schmidt is so sure about everything he does that he remains mostly unaffected by what happens outside the team bubble. And what does resonate with him is not to a point where he’s sweeping all the paperwork off the table and telling the lads it’s time to start again.”
New Zealand v Ireland – By Christy Doran of Fox Sports Australia
“Despite winning two of their past three matchups against the world champions, the All Blacks are heavy favourites against Ireland.
“Despite a comprehensive 27-3 win over Scotland in their opening pool match, Ireland’s shock 19-12 loss to Japan showed that they hadn’t yet rediscovered their mojo.
“Yet, with Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray in the halves and a disciplined and experienced side around them Ireland can’t be written off.”
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Japan beats Scotland
Japan hang on to reach Rugby World Cup last eight and send Scotland out – by Robert Kitson of The Guardian
“Some results deserve to be lit up in neon and this historic victory for Japan was one of them. Never before has any team from Asia reached the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup, let alone played such an inspirational brand of rugby.
“This was not just an emotional occasion for the host nation but an electrifying moment for the global game as a whole.
“And it was Scotland who were on the receiving end. It was less a case of them playing or defending poorly and more another object lesson in Japanese excellence.”
Many of Japan's stars will be forever etched into Japanese rugby and World Cup folkore – and they can thank an unlikely source for their meteoric rise to the tournament's quarter-finals. #RWC2019 https://t.co/qLwsZqN3Hc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 14, 2019
Japan’s victory over Scotland was brilliant, breathless and beautiful – by Mick Cleary of The Telegraph
“After the devastation, the delirium. After the doubt, the certainty.
Japan laid to rest any qualms about their right to compete among the elite, applied some balm to local grief after Typhoon Hagibis had done its worst, made us all appreciate the fact that the game was taking place at all with a performance that made the heart skip and the soul sing to go through to a quarter-final against South Africa in Tokyo next Sunday, the first time Japan has ever reached the promised land.
“It was a gilt-edged performance. Japan progress, Scotland depart, a clinical summation of a full-blooded occasion.”
Scotland knocked out after being stunned by hosts Japan in Yokohama thriller – by Adam Hathaway of The Independent
“They are light years ahead of the side that beat the Springboks in 2015 as head coach Jamie Joseph has made them tactically smart.
“That win over South Africa was all about hanging in and being brave in the last few minutes, it might never happen again.
“This and their win over Ireland were never in doubt. They were the better side on both occasions and might give the Boks a rattle in the quarter-finals.”
Quarter-final draw
- England v Australia, Saturday, 8.15pm, Oita
- All Blacks v Ireland, Saturday, 11.15pm, Tokyo
- Wales v France, Sunday, 8.15pm, Oita
- Japan v South Africa, Sunday 11.15pm, Tokyo
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
Watch – Oita at Night:
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments