What a disappointing end to the Rugby World Cup for Ireland, Ireland were so close to making history and if they beat the All Blacks last night, you can be sure they would have made it to the final.
After the game we talk about misses and Brian O’Driscoll was speaking on ITV and talked about the one kick that Johnny Sexton will be kicking himself over.
Just took a wee bit too long over it, for what should have been a gimme for a kicker of his quality and experience. That's the pressure and tiny margins of knockout rugby. In trying to steady himself, he got a fraction out of synch. But what a great bloody career… #Sexton
— Sea__Point 🇺🇦 (@Sea__Point) October 15, 2023
It does feel like when are we ever going to have a better chance of getting to a final or semi-final than with this team, what they have done, the rugby they have played, and the momentum that they built. It’s such a deflater…
I think the really frustrating thing, and we talked about Johnny Sexton looking back, we have to say there was a missed penalty in the 58th minute that got it within drop goal range. That’s what makes it all the more painful.
If you are looking for a way to pull it apart and split hairs, the reality is that they had to score a try and against a revolute defence like that with tired bodies at the end of the game, it was always going to be a big ask. It was always going to be easier to try and get a penalty out of it or at least have a shot at goal to take the spoils.
They didn’t have that opportunity to do so and ran out of puff after 30-something phases…
That’s the hard thing. I’m sure Johnny will eventually look at that and really kick himself. You never blame kickers, but that one will really hurt them.
A game of fine margins as expected.
For me the indiscipline of green number .one,porter was instrumental in Ireland’s loss. Three needless penalties conceded,9 points.Let his team down and probably cost his team the match.
It wasn’t Porters indiscipline. Each time the Irish scrum put the push on, the All Blacks wheeled it. Barnes also penalised him in the Heinekin Cup. Most refs when a team gets the push on tend to give that team the penalty. Porter was incandescent with rage as he knew he had the better of the opposition prop.
The replays very clearly showed Porters elbow drop and boring in on the angle was also reviewed by tmo and picked up by the Tj , think your seeing what you want to believe
rely thats not the way i saw it at all, it looked to me like Barnes had just purchased a holiday home in Cork and wanted to keep his new neighbours happy
He was deemed to have got the best of his opponent by cheating. Therefore a penalty. Move on
go and have a shot of Absinthe with the faeries Michael.
To be sure to be sure.
Well done Ireland from a proud Kiwi. Don’t worry we have entered many world cups as overwhelming favourites and No1 ranking just to be dumped out early so we know the pain you are feeling.
Lovely sportsmanship from an Ireland fan , that’s what sport should be about , cruel as it is but goodwill to all regardless of result
I think it was a big mistake to not use Crowley in the last 15 minutes or so. We could have used his athleticism , youth and freshness. He would have been solid in defense and sharp on attack. He has proven he can play and win in high pressure games. I am guessing that was Johnny’s call to stay on until the end.
Johnny’s miss had no bearing on the result as they missed a conversion as well to point the finger at Johnny’s is tasteless to say the least of it
A true fan like myself stand by my players irelands entire team was exceptionally brillant throughout the last 2 yrs especially the world cup was the icing on tge cake they were magnificent in every way u all seem to forget so easily how we never lost a match they played their hearts out & same usual moaning NZ won it end of we will come back again i love sexton but every team member are just as brillant i stand with Ireland always win or lose they are the best in my eyes & heart its just not their year thats sport
Lost to the better team, no excuses.