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Ireland: ‘It’s just getting into the groove of all that again’
Ireland – and Bryan Mollen – breathed a huge sigh of relief in the Far East on Friday after a hard-fought 12-7 win over Samoa prevented a disastrous opening day from happening to them at the Hong Kong 7s.
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The Irish opened their campaign with a morning defeat against South Africa, a team they had beaten in the pool stages on the previous two legs of the HSBC SVNS circuit in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
Those results led to the South Africans making a change to the management and a rejuvenated team now under the command of Philip Snyman burst into life, scoring twice off scrum ball and then through possession following a no-release penalty to lead 17-0 at the break.
They then added to that advantage shortly into the second half with a fourth try before the Irish charged back into the contest, their fightback to a 17-22 losing bonus point defeat assisted by the sending of South Africa’s Justin Geduld for a high tackle.
That left Ireland needing to pull it out of the bag against the Samoans and they eventually got over the line, second-half tries from Terry Kennedy and Zac Ward rescuing them after they had trailed 0-7 at the break.
"You can only defend for so long…"
– The Harry McNulty verdict on Ireland losing 17-22 to South Africa in their pool, from Liam Heagney ?? in Hong Kong. #HK7s @IrishRugby #HSBCSVNS @SVNSSeries @OfficialHK7s
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With their remedial job done, Ireland huddled at the bottom of the tunnel in the Hong Kong Stadium for a rallying pep talk before Mollen put into words the defiance that enabled them to stay in the trophy hunt ahead of Saturday’s final pool game versus Spain.
“We said we have just got to keep believing in ourselves,” explained Mollen to RugbyPass. “We put in two slow starts where we kept coughing up the ball. If we have the trust to hold onto that ball and put teams through it, we know we will come out on the right side.
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“So it’s just getting into the groove of all that again… we just say, ‘Keep hanging onto that ball and keep working together and we will be alright’.”
Knock-ons and penalties hurt in those repeat slow starts. “It’s a bit of humidity, all that kind of stuff, a bounce of a ball at times. We were just not switched on but in that game there (against Samoa), we managed to turn it around.
“The subs coming on managed to click a little bit better, same as we did against South Africa. We just left it a bit too late. They put 22 points and it’s hard to come back from that.”
For Mollen, a try-scorer off the bench against South Africa, being back in Hong Kong for the first time in five years has been a thrill. “I have missed a few this year, I got injured once or twice and a bit of rotation as well.
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“I’m just happy to come back. It’s my first time back in Hong Kong since we qualified in 2019 so it means the world to me and I’m happy every time I can put on an Irish jersey. It means the world.”
Ireland were well supported on day one in Hong Kong. “It’s huge. Just having as many green jerseys as we can see in the stand gives us that extra little buzz and that little lift that we need.
“We get great support anywhere in the world we go, and Hong Kong is so special because there is always a load of Irish that come out for us.”
- Click here to follow all the action live from Hong Kong on RugbyPass TV
"We're just not fully switched on but…"
– Bryan Mollen on the slow starts that Ireland have battled this Friday, from Liam Heagney ?? in Hong Kong. #HK7s #HSBCSVNS #IrishRugby @SVNSSeries @OfficialHK7s
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 5, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
The more direct approach to your past time this time I see Ben. Look, it doesn’t need to be said, anyone watching the match knows the ABs played better and just got robbed by the officiating, but lets face it, their dominance in the match was only because South Africa choked and forgot how to play rugby with the ball. South Africa were still the better side. Of course Ireland and France were also better sides that New Zealand. Possibly even England on WC performances.
1 Go to commentsGreat mythology - no surprises Ox didn't talk about being driven backwards by Laulala in the RWC final!
4 Go to commentsJust shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
21 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
67 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
21 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
67 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
67 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
28 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
67 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
4 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
4 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
67 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
28 Go to comments_Dan Carter weighs in on who should be Scott Robertson's All Black 10_ Dan: “It’s a toss up between Beudy and Dmac, although Mounga would be nice - but he can’t… so…” The Rugby Public: “Thanks Dan. For nuthin!”
4 Go to commentsEngland did this way back for the Croke Park match in the 2000’s. The shame actually seemed to weigh on them during the match. It will not be easy for Northhampton players to rationalize how their army went into a stadium of a major city of the then United Kingdom and opened fire indiscriminantly into terraces killed 14 and wounding scores. I am sure with a pro setup they will get this balance right. I live beside the stadium. A very old woman on the street remembers as a very young girl the crowds of people filling the street to escape the massacre. A lot of water under the bridge and the match has really little historical relevance for Irish/Leinster supporters any more. Those ghosts were freed in the trashing of England in the 2000’s match. Sure, it will motivate Leinster but Northhampton should not overly consider it or weigh on it in my opinion. Dowson is right to learn the historical importance and Northhampton are indeed giving the occasion due respect. It is important to show respect. But that’s enough for Northhampton. Fair play to them. On to the rugby now.
15 Go to commentsDouble World Cup Champions ? Wow since when did 4 become 2!
215 Go to comments“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
67 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
4 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
67 Go to comments