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What the All Blacks' 2007 World Cup exit can teach Ireland
In the quarter-final, the All Blacks faced the unfamiliar challenge of tackling the world’s best ranked team. Ireland found themselves in a position usually occupied by the Kiwis, boasting a superior record during the World Cup cycle to any other nation, but ultimately came up short of rugby’s most grand prize.
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With a notorious all-time winning rate, the All Blacks have often entered the tournament as favourites, and while the three-time world champions have lifted the Webb Ellis Cup as much as any team in history, their dominance outside of World Cups – just shy of an 80 per cent win rate all-time – would suggest they should have more than 33 per cent of the World Cup titles.
It’s a reflection of the unique challenge Rugby World Cups pose and a lesson for any team that underestimates the stage of rugby’s showpiece event.
The All Blacks, contrary to their quarter-final opponents, have had a relatively poor World Cup cycle, lowering expectations for their campaign and placing them as underdogs against an Irish team that had beaten them on five out of the previous eight occassions.
“Not a lot of people gave them a chance,” Parsons said of the All Blacks on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“If you use Johnny Sexton as an example, during the week he was talking about how when he was growing up you couldn’t dream of Ireland winning a World Cup, now we’re making it a reality. It’s like, mate, you’re at the quarter-final.
“There was quite an expectation that this was going to be a walkover. So, they took it personally a lot of those players and you heard Ardie (Savea) say after that, they held on to some receipts of what went on in New Zealand and they got the payback they were looking for at the biggest moment.
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“If you look at the All Blacks previously at the World Cup, we’re probably the team that’s like Ireland. We’re impeccable in between and then for some reason, we’ve always had our hurdles getting through World Cups.
“I don’t know, if you asked the fans ‘would you be happy to go through what we’ve been through if we go on to win this World Cup?’ And I think most fans would say yes. We’ll take the World Cup.”
In both 2011 and 2015, New Zealanders were treated to the best of both worlds, with record winning streaks and Rugby Word Cup wins achieved over a historic period.
Ireland were just shy of equalling that record winning streak and had the chance to break it in the tournament, had they progressed to the final. But, against New Zealand, what would have been the greatest day in Irish rugby history was instead a very sombre dissapointment.
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Sporting history is rich with the tales of teams who suffered a heart-wrenching loss, took the lessons and went on to become world-beaters. For Ireland to prevail in four years’ time, Parsons says they could look to the history of the team who eliminated them.
“I think the All Blacks did a couple of things after ’07, I think what they stripped it back to was ‘what do we stand for?’
“Then, once they got clarity on what they stood for, then they held themselves accountable to that every day. So, that weight of expectation or pressure was actually generated within the side so that when you got to a standalone Test match versus a World Cup, nothing changed in terms of what they expected of themselves.
“They almost created more pressure in the environment so that it became the norm. There was a lot of weight of expectation on Ireland and I think out of the bac of this experience, they’ll be better for it having experienced it. They won’t be happy about it but I think they’ll be better placed to deal with that if they do come into the next tournament at number one.
“Even if they don’t, they can almost see what’s possible from an All Blacks’ point of view when going into this tournament, losing to France, now in a semi-final and no one gave them an opportunity.
“Knock-out rugby is brutal and you just can’t, you just cannot miss a beat. Two sides are going home that are quality enough to win it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
4 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
43 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
43 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
4 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
6 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“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.
6 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 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.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to comments