539 : New Zealand v Ireland wrap

🏉 Slow starts

🏉 Plenty of positives

🏉 Decisions, decisions

🏉 ABs performance

🏉 Our best XV now

Gerald Williamson

Disappointing display from the team. Has the player burn out set in among some of the players ? Is the playing/training NH season to long for some of the players ?

Liz Power

Too many unforced errors. Against a team as clinical as the ABs, you pretty much have to be step perfect and not give them unnecessary possession. They are quite able to get that for themselves without us gifting it to them. Improvement on line out and scrum which is a positive

Colin McConaghie

Not despondent, individual mistakes/ poor decision making was a major issue but that can be rectified. A few of our normal reliables hadn’t their best performances but they’re still good players.

We butchered a couple of great opportunities especially the non pass to Balacoune and give them a walk in try by trying to play in the wrong area.

Breakdown was taken out of the game by Berry who wouldn’t allow a contest.

A lot to work on yes but definitely not all doom and gloom.

Eamon Saunders

Beaten by a better team but there are green shoots going forward 🤞

Terry Mahoney

We tried to play a physical forwards game when we should have used our speedy backs

Greg Kelly

Overall we looked tired and jaded after a long draining season for most of our players. Accuracy was well off and there’s not a lot to be said otherwise.

Que the eye rolls when I bang this drum but watching both Ben O”Keeffe and Nic Berry in the Oz and AB games respectively my thoughts go back to to Raynals statement on refereeing to WR earlier in the season. Super Rugby are playing a completely different set of laws and interpretations around tackle and breakdown. It was evident on last years Lions tour too. Ireland seemed to struggle badly to adapt to some of the extra-legal interpretations around clearouts and tackle. Surely there is only one game and one lawbook and WR need to make sure standards are enforced across the board.

Brendan Fogg

We struggled through poor handling , decision making and slow ball , limited line breaks yet at times we pressured , hope is there

David Cassidy

New Zealand the better team Ireland at the end of a long season they looked tired Ireland missing 6 players the referee was very poor but New Zealand would have won anyway

Christy O’Connor

We made NZ look much better than they are/were today. I worry about so many players being at the end of their careers now and we are still a year out from the WC, we are far below the standards of the Boks, France and NZ.

We have no definite replacement for Gibbo and no definite back up at 10.

The ref/tmo needs to be sent back to ref school. Not the reason we lost but the standards are shocking

Kettlebell Padawen

We’re deluding ourselves. Without penalty access we cant get into opposition 22 of the top tier nations. From 5m out Ireland can score but outside of that we cant create. Thats not a great nz team and its only the 3rd game under a new coach and still put 19 points on Ireland. No ball carrier threat, no one getting over the gain line. Sam’s best defensive display. Took some good options but no world class pace in the backline to exploit. We’re playing tactics from a few seasons ago and rugby is moving on with out us

Joe Lyons

I’d like to comment but feel my words would come screaming over as the ref was 💩 and please explain how James Ryan gets a red in SA game and NZ were complaining about their yellow even getting a yellow when it was a clear red as for the superman lunge knock on with a 3 player advantage and only Damien Mc to beat I’m again at a loss the breakdown was officiated so lob sided it must have frustrated thee Irish players who use this as a main source of possession but why was Taylor not penalised for running into ruck pushing Sheehan in back and the ref not even looking at Sheehan when he tried to talk to him all in all ABs were better but Ireland were referred off the park today

Mark Hunter

Only saw highlights and the gaps in the defence were very poor. Coughing up to Will Jordan 10 yards out is criminal. Decisions went too and fro apparently but Jacobson – that’s as red as red can be – wtf was the bunker/TMO thinking? Very very poor .

Player safety – what’s that ? Ask World Rugby – no don’t bother they don’t give a flying f**k.

Paul Clancy

I’m Irish, didn’t expect a win. The ref was terrible.

Odran John O’Brien

Outstanding at some things poor at other but New Zealand were just untouchable today