The Hurt Locker: Ireland v South Africa. Saturday 23rd September. Stade DeFrance

AndyBoBandy · 24-09-2023 8:30am

The term ‘Mentality Monsters’ was coined by Jurgen Klopp about his great Liverpool side that swept all before them a few years ago…

I think it’s a term we can now apply to this Irish team.

blackcard · 24-09-2023 9:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149657#Comment_121149657

I don't know about that. If SA had to maul their way over the line at the end, there would be lots of questions asked about why we kicked the ball away with 2 minutes to go and why we gave away a penalty to give them field position

Seadin · 24-09-2023 9:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149607#Comment_121149607

But there is a world cup to be won. ;)

AndyBoBandy · 24-09-2023 9:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149701#Comment_121149701

Yeah I’m not sure how well trying to play keep ball would have worked out for those 2 minutes in our own half with the speed at which SA attach the ball leaving rucks…. Get the ball as far away as possible

PokeHerKing · 24-09-2023 9:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149657#Comment_121149657

If we win the world cup maybe. But for now I think all I can agree with is for an Irish side, this group definitely seem to be the most mentally strong I've seen in my lifetime.

They are winning games we always lost in the past. But there's such a long way to go. If they lose in the QF then they'll have done nothing different to any other Irish team.

Musicrules · 24-09-2023 9:23am

Great win, tough as expected but we're the best team in the world and it's going to be extremely hard to beat us. South Africa threw everything at us. I don't think we'll face anything like that from Scotland, New Zealand or in the semi final. It's looking really good, especially with the rest we get now. Just to remind everyone, the final is on the bank holiday weekend so we have the Monday off but maybe book Tuesday off as well. 😀

blackcard · 24-09-2023 9:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149715#Comment_121149715

Kicking the ball away definitely didn't work out well. We should definitely have gone through a few phases to use up some of that 2 minutes

Hippo · 24-09-2023 9:25am

SA of course paid the price for not having a decent place kicker. Nevertheless, if Pollard is picked their backline won't operate nearly as effectively. It's not simply a matter of presuming that if he had played last night they would have won, it would have been a different game.

startupfood · 24-09-2023 9:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149701#Comment_121149701

I was frustrated too but in actuality, reckon decisions like that are all based around stats/probability, they're not made in game. They'd have worked out that kicking ball anyway in that part of the pitch, at the time, gives us the best chance of holding out.

blackcard · 24-09-2023 9:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149730#Comment_121149730

Fair enough. Giving away the penalty was frustrating. You couldn't see SA scoring a try from halfway

Akrasia · 24-09-2023 9:33am

I had a crisis at the 50th minute when the SA pack changed and immediately mangled our scrum. The fact that we managed to get that under control is why we won that game.

threeball · 24-09-2023 9:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149723#Comment_121149723

We need to give some players a break against Scotland, leave them on the bench available to come on if needed. I could see a situation where we get physically battered in a win at all costs match for Scotland, a NZ team out to prove a point, then fall to England or some other second rate team coming in fresh off the other side of the draw.

It's possibly the most lopsided tournament I've seen in any international sport. They really need to sort out their seeding next time. Having the top 5 teams in the world on one side of the draw in a sport where really only 8 compete at the top table is an absolute shambles.

almostover · 24-09-2023 9:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149332#Comment_121149332

I disagree, SA are lethal at the breakdown and if we hung onto the ball they would have been hunting for a turnover penalty which would have given them field position for a maul try. Also, the refs are very picky on sealing off penalties when a team is just trying to hang onto the ball through multiple phases at the end of a game. We pinned them back with those long kicks and looked comfortable enough defending their attempts to make it down field. Only for that Dan Sheehan penalty SA were struggling to enter our half of the pitch with ball in hand.

tbm · 24-09-2023 9:42am

Two of the SA missed kicks were from 50m+. On any day that’s a gamble. And without your first choice kicker it’s a serious gamble. Why didn’t they go to the corner? They didn’t fancy it because Ireland were defending well.

24-09-2023 9:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149421#Comment_121149421

Right; because beating France (at home) or NZ, in a world cup, are gimmies

pickarooney · 24-09-2023 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149412#Comment_121149412

What happens if Kolisi doesn't agree with Rassie on something?

nacho libre · 24-09-2023 9:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149607#Comment_121149607

Indeed. South Africa have lost at this stage and gone on to win the competition. People saying South Africa threw it away with the missed kicks, well if Ireland's line out was not misfiring they could well have scored more points too. The highlight of the game for me was Etzebeth being lifted into the air! It underlined the immense defensive effort Ireland put into the game. If Ireland do meet New Zealand in a quarter Final, based on that performance, they should beat them.

Thud · 24-09-2023 10:04am

Surprised the SA try stood, flung the pass while static outside the five meter line and was caught about 2 meters from try line very obvious with pitch markings.

Fafs deliberate knock on and Etzebeths multiple fouls could have been cards on another day too

pickarooney · 24-09-2023 10:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149763#Comment_121149763

I think it makes all of the groups competitive and interesting all the way through. It's much less entertaining when there's a clear best, second best, third best in each group.

It's crap luck for the teams who will go out earlier than their talent merits, no doubt.

razorblunt · 24-09-2023 10:08am

Watching the game back again and I noticed at the time that for all Libbock's kicks where he was left of the post he had the ball aiming wide left as well.

Bold tactic when he hooked all 3.

clsmooth · 24-09-2023 10:09am

Really like the 23. They will throw everything at us in the first 20-25. Bit like the game in November. They’ll try and go through us and grind us down. If we can withstand that, Ireland to win by 5 with Crowley to come on and nail the kick to win it with the game hanging in the balance.

From the preview thread earlier in the week. I wasn’t too far off 😀

Augme · 24-09-2023 10:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149412#Comment_121149412

They need to get rid of the person who coached them to a win a world cup four years ago? Im not sure thats makes much sense.

pickarooney · 24-09-2023 10:13am

Who got MOTM?

the.red.baron · 24-09-2023 10:16am

Bundi

AndyBoBandy · 24-09-2023 10:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149824#Comment_121149824

Should have been the stadium guy who played Zombie at the final whistle….

Sheep breeder · 24-09-2023 10:28am

All the talk about the bomb squad all week suited as they showed they we’re going to play one dimensional and Andy picked his bench super with more impact on the game, Jonny, POM, Furlong, etc gave their all and the timing of subs was bang on to make an impact. Personally I think we have a super management and coaching team and the team are super fit and so mentally tuned in and confidence and togetherness seems so high when you here players talk it’s all about the team and the process.

Large bottle small glass · 24-09-2023 10:31am

Given the build up, World no 1 v World Champions and the physicality of the match I was expecting a card or two and a few incidents.

There was no card or no incident worth mentioning in a really brutal punishing match.

Just a manly yet really disciplined encounter, great advertisement for rugby.

Seemed to be a genuine warmth and respect between players at the end.

KaneToad · 24-09-2023 10:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149862#Comment_121149862

The SA players are mainly great competitors, athletes and sporting men. They are good winners and good losers.

The same can't be said for a vocal section of their fan base (much like Ireland/England/NZ etc). Their DOR is also thoroughly unlikeable. I hope he doesn't emerge as the Nucifora replacement.

This is it · 24-09-2023 10:51am

Is there anywhere to rewatch the match? Forgot to record it 😭

Akrasia · 24-09-2023 10:53am

RTE player will have it online

The Hurt Locker: Ireland v South Africa. Saturday 23rd September. Stade DeFrance

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