"I started a joke, that started the whole world ......" | Ireland v New Zealand.

All QF’s were affected by the occasion. There is nothing unusual in that. It produced as much good as it did bad play for us. Probably more good play if truth be known.

I don’t know how to produce this best play though unless it’s on a switch.

We have played games which won ugly and we have lost games were we played well. Saturday was a day with some ugly and some good but we lost.

Its not a curse or a jinx because it happened in a QF it can happen in any game.

But they did perform.

That is a verifiable fact.

There are people here denying they had a sense of entitlement or who thought we only had to turn up. It may not have been expressed outright but it's all over posts.

They ignore that in games that we won there was a balance between the good and the bad, always variable.

'Playing our best' isn't some definable level and it is massively affected by what the result is.

I asked the question: what would we be saying today if that arm had not been there and we went on to win?

We would be saying this team is so good it can win ugly...we said it very recently when we struggled for a time against Samoa.

We wouldn't be focusing on the bad points of our performance, we'd be focussing on all the good things we did, our resilience would be triumphed. Aki would be a genius and Sexton would sit a top the pile because he masterminded the kicks and field position to get the pivotal lineouts etc etc etc.

Go review the aftermath of games we won ugly in to see that.

The fact is a balanced review of that game shows that we were a mixture of good and bad things, we were in a QF which was just as important for the opposition and for a host of reasons we didn't win a 50/50 match with high stakes.

There was no entitlement, we should only have won a game like that if we actually went out and won it. We didn't, again for a host of reasons.

Actual good teams don't throw the toys out, or throw the baby out with the bathwater. They go away, assess what happened, figure out what to do about the flaws and work to fix it.

Then like thousands of teams before them amid the disappointment and the hurt they keep going and try again.

Why? Because that's sport, the very essence of it, in fact.

The "didn't play to the best of their ability" is lazy, and trying to explain it by pointing out some errors across 80 minutes of top level sport against an ABs team who played very well doesn't cut it. Some here seem to have expected us to play absolute prefect rugby, and the fact we didn't (couldn't), it's now being used to slate the overall performance.

Rugby media in this country really does the team or sport no favours with its sycophantic coverage.

Gordon Darcy in the IT this morning with the headline - "Ireland’s performance in New Zealand defeat one to be proud of"

Another article in the IT - "If the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup, Ireland can claim a piece of it"

All of Gerry Thornleys articles since the game but I especially liked the bit - "Nobody died. A brilliant Irish team just lost a game of rugby and they died with their boots on." Christ almighty

RTE News last night - "The heroic defeat to New Zealand".

Some lad on Newstalk actually said that if we took out the 13 point start, we actually won the rest of the game by 9. OMG.

Placating those they imbued with a sense of entitlement perhaps?

A lot of people who have only a peripheral interest in the game, who are there for the buzz of the win buy into that stuff. It sells papers. Some people (and I stress 'some') love that stuff. Not unusual in rugby or any other sport either.

Here is some of the NZ press, doing what we do too. Gushing, bigging up, and giving voice to expectations. Ho hum.

Personally, I wouldn't get beyond those headlines you posted. When the dust settles the rugby media will pick apart the winning and losing of the game, those are the ones I will read and consider.

Horses for course.

Absolutely.

There is much made of the fact that the NZ press is harder on the team and demand more etc etc.

What has that achieved for them in reality?

They haven't won the WC since 2015, have been beaten regularly and lost Series at home for the first time ever to different teams.

A hostile media is clearly not all it's cracked up to be either, is it? I would put NZ's progress down to bringing in the likes of Joe Schimdt more TBH.

Personally, I think our media is a good and bad mix, if you want clinical, non flattering critical analysis, it is there if you know where to look. It's regularly posted on this forum in fact. If you want gush, aimed at the fair weather good time buzz supporters, that's there too.

Of course we would.

I thought I'd wait a few days before coming on here to gloat and rub your noses in it, so here goes.... just kidding.

It was a great game with 2 good teams going at it. It was tense, it ebbed and flowed, there were moments of brilliance, there were mistakes, there was joy and there was anguish. Everything you'd want to see in knock out rugby. And one team had to lose. On Saturday it was Ireland, on another day it would be NZ.

A couple of things I've noticed after reading this entire thread, and yes I've read the hello thing (hello to the seagulls). Some posters have said that if Ireland played 100% and NZ played 100% then Ireland would win. But that's not possible is it? Part of playing at your best is stopping your opponent playing their best. The old saying "no plan survives contact with the enemy". NZ stopped Ireland and Ireland stopped NZ.

Also @Musicrules you went on for a few pages about the choking. In fact you went on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and ..... well, you get the picture. Was the reason for this that you were embarrassed? For the last couple of months you've been on here all cocky and belligerent about how Ireland were going to win the world cup. You were arrogant and condescending to any posters that had doubts or were only cautiously optimistic. Must have been quite a shock to the ego on Saturday night. Rather than admit you were wrong and take the loss like a man, you came on here screaming about chokers like a child. Suck it up mate.

I also mentioned other significant 'first time' losses by NZ. (That's if you are not one who writes Series wins as insignificant and games the teams aren't fully invested in.)

The substantive point is, you can look at how the media impacts the team in a number of ways.

How do you assess NZ's prep for this match @Yeah_Right ?

Would be interested in anything you have to offer on that.

Agreed.

I think that is a complete misread of what has been said.

The crux of my points are that 'on the day', given all the circumstances, we gave all we could. That this 'best' level is not on a switch and that you cannot blame people for not hitting a switch that doesn't exist. There are multiple reasons why things happened as they did.

Nobody is shutting down or pretending that nothing went wrong Awec, things did, but that wasn't the whole thing. The game was there for the taking and again there are multiple reasons we could not take it. Lack of belief or effort are not the reasons and nor is other teams losing at this point in the past. That team went in fully believing they could do it.

Balance is required. And if you cannot hack the notion that sport is about what that game was about, then maybe sport is not for you.

The analysis and critques will come.

Now attacking what was a small turnout at the airport, mostly showing gratitude and a bit of pride. Same reaction when the team showed their gratitude to supporters after SA win - they are celebrating a pool match win etc etc.

It's what we do, if you want to change it, blockade the airport. FFS. 🙄

I agree with pretty much everything you are saying awec regarding the Irish mistakes.

But why did it happen? We could write a book...but I offer up three simplistic reasons 1. NZ 2. Pressure 3. Fatigue

1. It is "just sport" - by way of NZ played better & smarter than Ireland
2. No doubt the occasion got to Ireland and they mismanaged the opening 25 mins.
3. The pack looked tired. esp. vdF. POM, Doris and Beirne. & Furlong just wasn't fit.