Rugby world cup post mortem

Someone else will claim we collapsed due to nerves which you wouldn't have if you were complacent.

I would ask, why we cannot just accept that in a close fought game that was effectively the same as a SF or Final we lost by a single score.

nz felt they had a point to prove and were hungrier for it...

I don't think they'd ever admit it, not soon any way. But you'd wonder if the irish players felt there would be enough of a gap, that Ireland could show up at 85% and still beat them...

You've been talking some revisionist BS on this topic. The policy of not selecting players playing outside of Ireland, basically came in because Sexton signed to play in France after the IRFU lowballed him. I believe in the past Irland had selected the likes of Geordie Murphy, Bowe, Cullen, Easterby and others who were all playing in the UK. Sexton got a clause put in his contract saying he would be released for all Irish camps. Zebo signed to play in France after the policy was announced. And he didn't get a clause put in his contract releasing him. That is on Zebo.

This sort of post annoys me no end, sneering after the event. Nobody is proud of losing. People are proud of a team that is number one in the world - not 'supposed' number one in the world, but actual number one in the world, that is Grand Slam Champion, that won what 15 consecutive games, that won an away tour to New Zealand. They were proud of the team before the Quarter Final, and yes make no apologies for still being proud of it afterwards.

What use is being called e number 1 team in the world if you lose your first knockout game,

Our best team ever got beat by New Zeelands worst ,

Played quite well after a shaky start. Nz were nervous too, ballooned a few kicks and threw haphazard passes.

They both recovered, and NZ got ahead. We had to chase a good team and narrowly lost the game.

That’s a fairer assessment than the ‘we played dreadful’ one.

BTW Johnny has also kicked many many important kicks in his time and many many great players have missed kicks. It’s sport, it happens, NZ could by a whisker be sitting today rueing the one they missed in the s/h.

We have come along way when that Irish QF performance is considered a bottle performance.

It’s sickening to read entitled posters who didn’t run the simple risks when equally matched teams play each other disrespect the effort made.

It laziness and an inability to bring some perspective into it.

It’s great when we are winning but how quickly the worm will turn nasty if we lose.

But its a major and justifiable criticism of irish rugby that we've never done much in a world cup bar a few big pool game performances.

Winning a world cup isnt the be all and end all but never once winning a knock out game and in most of those games we werent near winning is horrific.

that's an interesting one, would i swap ireland's record post rwc 2003 with england's record? 3 grand slams and 2 6Ns against 1 grand slam, 3 6Ns and 2 RWC finals (quite possibly a 3rd one), tbh as much as ireland have been a more consistent team in that timeframe id still probably take england's record

The reality is that over the last twenty years Ireland haven't really come away with that much more success compared to England. One additional 6 nations title and one additional grand slam vs two world cup finals and another semi final. I think the fact that people look at the last twenty years as being great for Ireland and terrible for England more highlights the poor standards and quality that Irish rugby is normally accustomed to.

Also, over the last twenty years Wales have won six 6N's, 4 Grand Slams, and been to a semi final twice. Much more impressive than Ireland.

At this point I'd prefer to have Wales' record because its better than Ireland in terms of titles won and performances at the world cup.

In relation to boom or bust vs consistency, I'd argue that focusing on consistency is one of the reasons why we don't do well at World Cups. We don't build towards World cups, we build towards consistently doing well at 6 nations and we then hope to do well at World Cups. Other teams build for world cups and are willing to sacrifice performances at the six nations to do so. Trying to do both is very very difficult.

Even ignoring the world cups then they have won more titles the Ireland over the last 20 years so it's fairly obvious why anyone would take Wales record since 2003. Whether their record is better after 25 years is a different matter.

NZ are a different beast. The NH teams just aren't that good and don't consistently produce world class players. There's a reason they have only won one world cup. Having all the 6 nations teams playing all their best players every single game for the 6 nations isn't going to increase their chances of winning a world cup.

The southern hemisphere sides in some ways cant be compared to the Northern sides for how they rotate players in pool stages because of the timing of the world cup. the timing of world cup suits southern hemisphere sides far more than norqthern hemisphere sides

You do see some northern hem sides do it.

This defensive nonsense is pathetic. Can't be hurting the feelings of the rich sportsmen! You're so great goys!

Look on the bright side, 8 quarter finals added together makes two whole finals!

Muppet.

Mod: Abuse.

We view keep rugby alive in Ireland. That means been competitive in the 6 nations. A competition which if you put NZ and SA into tomorrow morning I would like to see what their focus is like on the World Cup.

Even if we won a World Cup this year it wouldn't keep Irish rugby afloat without the 6 nations and the money it brings in every years.

FYI we lost to the best team on the day, the top 4 teams in the World, which includes Ireland can win or lose based on the bounce of the ball which is what happened on both qtr finals. That's sport.

I don't why you're talking as if Ireland prioritising the world cup means they'll be finishing last in the 6 nations and they'll be palying their matches in empty stadiums. Doesnt say much for the Irish fans if that's the case.

Not sure how you got that from my post. I never said they would come last or have empty stadiums.

The tournament which keeps the light on and rugby afloat is the 6 nations so naturally enough that is the competition we should focus on. As I said if NZ and SA got into the 6 nations they would focus on it as well.

No, but you implied it when you said we viewed keeping Irish rugby alive as to the reason we focus on the 6 nations. As if focusing on a world cup would suddenly be the death of Irish rugby.

Also, given England, France and Wales don't focus on the 6 nations above world cups I don't know why you think SA and NZ would be different. They treat it the exact same way.

There's a reason the only the only team who dont prioritise the WC are the team who've never been beyond a quarter final.

I said they don't focus on 6 nations above world cups. This is what Dupont said after winning the grand slam last year.

"We have the World Cup in mind, but first we will all enjoy the end of the Tournament together. We will focus on the World Cup afterwards.” 

Eddie Jones got sacked because of poor results in 6 nations and the press turned on him because he belittled the 6 nations

France went all out to win this year, all teams make it a priority and SA are bending over backwards to get into the 6 nations.

Ireland said 2 years they had a focus on winning the World Cup and it was a priority. Both Farrell and Sexton.