RWC 2023 Ireland v South Africa Buildup - Sat 23rd Sep 20:00 Paris

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141254#Comment_121141254

If only we were that side of the draw

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141267#Comment_121141267

We will be for the semi

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141047#Comment_121141047

Swap Fiji for Argentina

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141047#Comment_121141047

Going to be difficult when SA vs NZ is one of the quarters...

😋

JRant

This Ireland team are a physically taxing team to play against, especially for the opposition backs. The way we play targets wide areas with the likes of Bundi and Doris taking the ball hard into midfield. Rassi is taking a huge risk picking a bench like that against us and I'm here for it.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121140239#Comment_121140239

Not one single SA lineout that hasn't been analysed by POC over the last 20 years!

It's funny because when you ask the Qs the reality of how difficult it is going to be hit home!

Territory is key. Ireland simply cannot play rugby in their own half. Must deprive SA of what they need to build pressure. They are hardwired to smash you and counter ruck relentlessly.

There is no avoiding that but hopefully Lowe, Sexton and JGP will be able to kick Ireland into good positions to compete in air and attack lineouts beyond the 10m line of Irelands half of the pitch.

Even the kickoff is going to be key.

Nov 22' game v SA

Ireland kicked off and it was straight down the middle on Kolbe(FB) in their 22'. Kolbe hoofed it straight off the park just short of their 10m line.

1.Sheehan hits Ryan just over Etzebeth in the middle of a 5 man LO and popped it down to Murray

2.Murray hits Sexton and pops the ball off to Doris to run straight at Willemse. Willemse and Kolisi tackle him just short of the 10m line

3.vdF, McCloskey and Furlong secure the ruck and Murray puts a box kick down the middle short of the 22'

4.Ringrose wins the ball in the air just over PSdT head. Ringrose carries over the 22 and runs into Kolbe

5.Hansen and Sheehan clear the ruck and Ryan clears DDA and Kitshoff is penalised for not rolling away

I'd bite your hand off for a similar start tomorrow!

https://youtu.be/yMcckDddn30?t=245

Jacovs

We (SA) need Kolisi to have a big game. His value as captain cant be overstated. If he has a **** game then he can stay in France (which he is anyways since he is playing his club rugby there now, but I meant after that, dont come back to SA).

joficeduns1

Watched the first half of that November test yesterday. The counterrucking from SA is fierce, no holds bar. We did very well to get some penalties to keep them at bay.

The above opening phase of play was great. Agreed that we need to get right at the heart of them to begin with. We've shown we can get fast starts (3 NZ tests being the best examples). Get out in front and battle hard.

Crash

@ionadnapokot thanks for flagging that up. I think we'll see Keenan, Hansen & Sexton bringing a fairly varied kicking game into this - crossfields, box kicks, wee dinks through and flood the area with runners, put them under immense pressure and force mistakes. If we can keep doing that, we'll get value from it IMO. It'll negate their ability to rush aggressively, and on turnover ball if we can maintain our ruck speed their defensive shape will be all over the shop. So I think varied kicking game & clean rucks will be key to keeping them honest.

Ribs1234

…and quickly drop kick every conversion so there are no reviews (how many call backs have we had in this World Cup already? )

pickarooney

Conversions don't prevent reviews any more.

Ribs1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142420#Comment_121142420

I wasn’t aware of that. Thank you

trevezel

the question is : how many injuried players at the end of the game after such a fierce battle ?

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142363#Comment_121142363

The start of the NZ v SA game was something special. The best opening 20-25mins to a Test I've seen in recent years. The opening stages was a mix of NZ kicking for territory, sublime skills from Mo'unga and Frizell and Jordan exploiting space with exceptional footwork and speed. Can Ireland do the same?

SA kicked off and straight to Telea in the 22''. NZ played 2 phases and BB thumped it up to the SA 10m line (but kept the ball in play). Malherbe knocks on.

Scrum NZ just inside their own half.

1.Solid NZ scrum. Ball out to Mo'unga to JB who kicks deep into SA 22''

2.le Roux gather and kicks long beyond the NZ 10m

3.Mo'unga throws an outstanding pass from his quick lineout to Jordan who beats the onrushing de klerk and brings play up to SA 10m

4.Scrappy ball leads to ruck and Mo'unga feeds BB in the face of 3 onrushing SA FWs (Smith, de Jager & Etzebeth)

5.BB gets smashed by Smith after he pops it off to Frizell who is at the apex of a pod of 3 NZ FWs.

6.Frizell steps between de Jager & Etzebeth and accelerates out of a covering tackle from Kitshoff carrying into the SA 22''

7......just watch the next 2mins!!

https://youtu.be/0SVUw8fQ7_g?t=172

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142892#Comment_121142892

All about tempo and short passes at or through contact to negate the rush defence.

That is absolutely the game plan to beat South Africa.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142937#Comment_121142937

To prise it open, yes definitely. It was outstanding play by NZ. It is interesting that BB still had to throw (on advantage) an excellent 15m skip pass over 2 SA defenders to Jordan....and he still got tackled by the scrambling le Roux. Jordan quick thinking and speed did the rest.

Will Ireland do that though? That was really individual skills and brilliance. I think Ireland will be more layered in how they will try and do it.

If the pen advantage is with Ireland I really want to see them go for it and not the cross field kick from Sexton we sometimes see.

dave_o_brien

Long time lurker here.

This is going to be one of the most tactically interesting games in a long time. It's pretty obvious that SA's defence is one of the most aggressive and effective in the game (ours is also very, very good). But Ireland's attack game is well suited to challenging it and negating the rush. I think given the way we have played, we'll see a slightly different approach from SA, with fewer two man tackles to allow more bodies to commit to a support runner in the event of a short pass through contact. This may allow us quicker ruck ball if the 1st carrier takes contact, which might give more space in the centres or draw more offsides from SA. I think we're going to see an ENORMOUS amount of variety from Ireland in the first 15mins for two purposes - force Kriel and SduT to think more than they are used to in the outside channels and force the defenders in the short channels to hold numbers of contact and to rucks.

None of that will sit well with SA. I can see them getting very frustrated and conceding more peno's than would be their usual.

If we can stay card free, I think we'll win by 2 scores. The big question is can we emerge from it with a minimum of injuries. Because I think we win tomorrow, but there is a risk it's Pyrrhic.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143117#Comment_121143117

If we can stay card free, I think we'll win by 2 scores. The big question is can we emerge from it with a minimum of injuries. Because I think we win tomorrow, but there is a risk it's Pyrrhic.

Tend to agree on the scoreline, but also the QF is 3 weeks afterwards so I'm not that worried about injuries.

trevezel

good luck to make SA frustated, they don't care about you when they play...

i m a bit afraid by both wingers, kolbe and arentse, top speed,...

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143117#Comment_121143117

every country vying to win the competition has suffered injuries to significant players, both before and during the competition:

France: Dupont, Ntamack

South Africa: Marx, Am, De Jager

New Zealand: Reece, Narawa,

Australia: Skelton, Tupou

England: JVP, Watson

ireland have been lucky enough so far in that the two main injury issues have been to bench players (healy and Conan) and we can name as strong a starting 15 as we possibly can, for this our most important pool game.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143117#Comment_121143117

Dont be a pyrrhic

trevezel

and also good luck for Sexton, De Toit is usually so tender with the '10'...

dave_o_brien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143447#Comment_121143447

For SA, Du Toit normally marshals channels further out as part of the organisation of the blitz. That said, I don't imagine he'd pass up an opportunity to test the old man's ribs, nor will his team mates. Nothing new there, mind you, so I don't think that's a revelatory point.

Also, regarding you're "good luck frustrating SA" comment; they've been frustrated by us every time we've played since the last world cup. They've also often been frustrated by the All Blacks, and were being frustrated by them in the warm-up game until the red. They were also frustrated against the Scots, and failed to secure a BP against them. They're not immune to frustration, at all at all.

Dubinusa

I'm peering from between me fingers! What's da score?

CMcsporty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143650#Comment_121143650

Are you ok?

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121144005#Comment_121144005

No! My breathing is rapid and I think I'm gonna fill me jocks come gametime!

molloyjh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121143559#Comment_121143559

I’d also argue that their selection is driven entirely by concern over what we bring. This is not their usual selection at all. On the other hand we’ve just backed ourselves in the same way we always have.

trevezel

SA will lose only because they have no reliable kicker...with Pollard, they would have a chance, remember last november, it was very close, 19-16 ...even with Willemse

lbj666

Watching back the November game lot of inaccurate stuff but mostly as a result of immense pressure from both sides, Ireland hung in their physically really, SA really gave it to them but the sledge wasn't exactly hitting square on. Goes without saying who ever shows the most improvement since that game will win.

flatface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141221#Comment_121141221

Fair enough, I thought byrne would be picked for his steadiness, but I’m not at all upset to see Crowley picked instead. Hopefully he goes well if he get’s game time.