Your prefered QF

connachta

We all know we had the worst draw ever

Choose between plague and cholera

PMC83

France

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058310308/your-prefered-qf

Gotta be the devil we know, even its their home world cup

connachta

New Zealand

Home ref will matter badly

I've picked N-Z

kuang1

New Zealand

If we're to play France I'd rather it be the final.

NZ please fora 50/50 game.

thebaz

Have we ever won a knockout game at a WC ?

For that reason, and NZ seam to be coming good just at the right time - France - wil be very tough (either)

swiwi_

Scotland please :)

All_in_Flynn

France

Went with France but it will be interesting to see NZ this week provided they go with a strong team. I think opening game will also tell us a lot.

Think we have the measure of France at the moment. Not sure about NZ yet.

Podge_irl

France

I said france though I guess it's premature as if the opening game is one sided then the answer will be clear!

Clareman

New Zealand

I'd like to get there first 😁

Injuries and depth is going to be huge again in this RWC, with our 2 "big" games coming straight before the quarter final there could be a lot of damaged bodies out there but the gap between SA and Scotland should help players recover. We don't have a good record against France in France and historically the best time to beat NZ is the quarter final so I'll go for NZ, just.

awec

France

I think France, because we beat them regularly and it will be less mental pressure than a QF against New Zealand.

I think the fact we've never won a knockout game has an effect on us mentally, it is bound to have an impact on the players leading up to the game. Similar to how we never beat New Zealand, there was a mental barrier, then we beat them once, then a few more times, and now we feel like we could beat them in any game.

Get the knockout hoodoo off our backs and we could beat anyone, so France for me.

sekond

France

France. But for mostly non-rugby reasons. I'm married to a kiwi - there's a strong possibility of us not speaking to each other for a while if we play NZ in the QF. I reckon both of us have more chance of being a good loser/gracious winner later in the process!

Clareman

New Zealand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011434#Comment_121011434

In the last 10 games it's 6 wins for Ireland and 4 for France, against New Zealand it's 5-5

banie01

New Zealand

I went with NZ, solely because we will have to beat them at some stage. That said, I am a cynic grown used to us going to RWC full of hope and on the crest of a wave of good performances.

I do think this is the year we buck the trend and that this group of players can dig out a win against any team in the world.

It's the hope that really gets ya 😉

We're going to win all our games and win the world cup.

The who is irrelevant.

Shehal

France

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011353#Comment_121011353

Judging on last summer we have the measure of NZL almost as much.

Shehal

France

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121011434#Comment_121011434

If anything that hoodoo is why I would like France, ultimately France have as many players who have been to a SF as Ireland so if it becomes a tense last 20 mins France will be feeling the pressure as much as we will. NZL on the other hand dont have those issues.

connachta

New Zealand

I should have rephrased option 3 as

"it's up to Ben Healy and Jean Kleyn to choose as they'll kick our ass out in pool stage" 🤣

aloooof

France

France for me. We’ve beaten them in a RWC. That and the loss of Ntamack shades it for me.

OldRio

Just make it out of the pool.

El Vino

France

France, all day and twice on Sundays. We thought we had NZ's number prior to last world cup and look how that went. SA V NZ in the other Semi and let the Boks kick the crap out of them. Even if they win it will take lots out of them!

connachta

New Zealand

You don't get it

it's new-zealand or france + a homer of a ref

every 50/50 calls will be against us

not vs the Kiwis

AbusesToilets

France

Dream revenge run in would be France, Argentina and Wales

jeff bingham

France

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012761#Comment_121012761

Didnt realise there was a French referee appointed already…

connachta

New Zealand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121015279#Comment_121015279

It's a French international ref yeah. Under pressure of 80K. Everybody knows how home advantage turns 50/50 calls, and that's why home win ratio is far more than 50%. It's not only knowledge of the field configuration (which helps france too)

New Zealand please

SaoPaulo41

France. If we do get out of group the hoodoo to get past 1/4s will be big ,but nothing like the pressure France will be under. I think they could crack.

rudiger2.0

New Zealand

Let's beat New Zealand in the QF and then it's smooth sailing into a final against France, who'll lose their nerve with all the pressure in front of a home crowd.

After all that, it's off for a nice meal with Jennifer Lawrence.

.Donegal.

Being out of the pool, to avoid this awful dilemna

I’ve been brushing up on my French lately and my god their rugby fans do not like us one bit. On l'equipe after the English game it was constant complaining, calling us cheats and our opponents never finish with 15. That was from a game that didn’t include France, madness. I didn’t notice any English complaints after the game. Same on all the YouTube comments of recent matches between Ireland and France. They hate us lol. So I’d love to face them and beat them and read their crying comments.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019431#Comment_121019431

Reading l'équipe or Rugbyrama comments is like reading the drivel posted on The journal. It's just endless conspiracy theories. When there's no international rugby on they repeatedly post the same shite about Toulouse.

Red Silurian

New Zealand

I think we have a better chance at beating NZ in France than beating France in France. With that being said, our chances of beating either are slim

Personal opinion

swiwi_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019431#Comment_121019431

Nothing like the refined considerate discussion on the 42.ie so.

stephen_n

New Zealand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019739#Comment_121019739

Or Boards but in general there is a lot of love for France here. The Welsh or the Scots no but that’s the devil you know I guess. We are not used to being rivals for big teams.