THE TANNOY SPEAKERS were turned down, the intensity ratcheted up and the crowd were back to their old selves.
This was what November internationals are supposed to feel like.
That it ended with such disappointment and a tinge of injustice even felt acceptable. At least rugby fans could stream away from the Aviva Stadium having watched an ferocious, confident display that they could be proud of.
Ireland raced out of the traps like we all hoped they would. This proud squad had had enough of being told they were passive against Australia. Enough of hearing about the inevitable 14th win from 14 New Zealand would enjoy over the southern hemisphere summer. Too used to winning to accept the fate of all but one Ireland team to face the mighty All Blacks in the past 98 years.
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This was Ireland in full on underdog mode and, jesus, how they revelled in it.
Ireland were so good in that first half, you were left wondering if this was all part of Joe Schmidt’s great masterplan; use Australia to take up a spot in the long grass, prepare the ambush. It almost worked.
Ragdoll
Devin Toner played out of his skin, Mike Ross found space to carry and the great Richie McCaw was flung aside like a rag doll. These underdogs brimming with self belief. And, as Steve Hansen pointed out as he sat relieved and proud in the post-match press conference, that is an ingredient which has been lacking over the years.
“I don’t want people to say we were off the pace,” Hansen said, ” we trained well all week. but Ireland forced us into those errors.”
It is difficult to recall an Ireland performance on a par with this one. Australia in 2011? England in 2004? These are perhaps arguments to be made when the dust settles, but today, Joe Schmidt John Plumtree and Les Kiss sent a pack out to bully the biggest baddest set of forwards in the game and they achieved.
In the end, perhaps Ireland found some of the white line fever that has prevented New Zealand from total domination over the past 25 years. They were forced to soak up endless pressure after taking a 15-point lead into the second half. Carry by carry, the visitors asked our tacklers to dig deeper and deeper.
They continued to go to the well and even forced a shot at goal that would have opened up an eight-point lead which even the belief-filled McCaw admitted would have meant the end of their comeback hopes.
Disappointing
Come back they did though, a typically brave move from left to right which ended with Ryan Crotty sneaking into the corner.
“The defence at the end is massively disappointing, but it’s cumulative. We were asked to make a lot of tackles,” said a pretty downcast Schmidt deep in the heart of the stadium.
When the speakers are turned off and the heart rate has finally slowed down, the result remains the same, but an enormous amount of progress has been displayed in this showing from Ireland.
The challenge now is ensuring the same levels are hit over and over again when New Zealand are not the ones laying the gauntlet down.
I think we have the foundations of a very good team. I think joe is the man to build on these foundations. When you see what this team can achieve and look at the likes of Jj Hanrahan (95% kicking this season) at only 21, Cave, olding gilroy, henshaw, cronin at Munster I’d be confident.
I had the same but only 2 euro. Murray is always a good bet for first try. Got the first try down in Christchurch last year. Still it’s only a small consolation!
Cannot believe we threw this one away. I was there & we had it in the bag.
Irish media – would yis ever STOP praising heroic failures 100% ? Make no mistake we should have won this game. The reason we did not was that we threw it away. Praising f**k-ups of this magnitude means they’ll keep happening.
Ireland Threw it away after performing heroics, which makes it worse.
This one was worse than the last time we threw it away against NZ, the second Test of the 2008 tour. This has to stop.
Understandable frustration, but this seems only to stop when New Zealand decides!
It has become so much in the psyche at this point, that it’s fearful! How amazing were Ireland? And yet the script unfolded!
The Kiwis just instinctively never really panic, and despite all the bravery of the collision victories from Ireland, that mental doubt creeps back – Is that an armchair/hindsight synopsis?
I just hope we learn more from this one than they do, because if it’s them, we are facing a long period of what if’s against this great nation! Well done New Zealand! Heroic Ireland – thank you for an amazing turn around!!!
We played exceptionally well against the world champions who are unbeaten all year. We made mistakes and should have Ron but the performance level from last week to this was a testament to players and management. Tired bodies and minds in second half. Really gutted but at least there is hope where there was despair last week. So for once would the trolls get back into their boxes.
Pride does not win matches was in the bag and lost it when will we stop praising losses and start asking how did we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.Moral victories never won anything.So please stop rejoicing in being second best .
The lads now know what it takes to win and I think they can take this and move on from here.every game for Ireland should be played like u are never playing again and today they played that way. I went home tonight a disapointed but immensely proud Irish man
For some that doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m still sick over the result and manner of it. But it’s what we do from here that’s important. If we can get a few guys like D Ryan, tommy o Donnell & Zebo fit it will strengthen the squad. If we can bring this intensity into the 6 nations we have a real chance. Lets hope we don’t just perform like this on a once off.
Ppl please!!! We as Irish ppl need to stop being happy with an ” exceptionally good loss” all the pundits are talking about it, it will be in all the papers tomorrow how bravely the guys lost. That’s not what professional sport is about. Today’s result is the same as last wks. The team proved today they are real contenders for any major competition but they have got to produce that on every outing that’s what professional sport is about!! We as fans of a great rugby team should expect that every time they represent us,anything less just isn’t good enough when they can play like they did today.
I dont buy into the whole moral victory bit but I do think that there was a lot to be proud of and thankful for in todays performance. After a poor 6 Nations and a terrible defeat to Australia last week it was great to see the lads do what we have all suspected that they were capable of and match and often outplay the best team in the world. Ok we lost on the the scoreboard but it was only because of a uncharacteristic miss by Sexton. Had that gone over it would not have changed the performance, just the result.
Basically this was one test match….no trophy at stake. And yes while it would have been nice to get that monkey off our backs of never having beaten the ABs what we did gain was the knowledge that there is no one we should be afraid of. Thats important with a very competitive 6 Nations coming up and a World cup the following year. Of todays squad only BOD wont be available for 2015.
I think this performance will do Irish rugby the world of good. And we still have Ferris Zebo and Earls to come back. No point wallowing in self pity. Learn the lessons and move on. Watch out England Wales and France.
Sick of this Good Losers Tag We blew it We could have done with Donncha O Callaghan for 15 mins and Luke fitzgerald a sub on Leinster B team getting a run when we dropped Luke Marshall 3 months to find Talent not much required Best is a loss too
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I think we have the foundations of a very good team. I think joe is the man to build on these foundations. When you see what this team can achieve and look at the likes of Jj Hanrahan (95% kicking this season) at only 21, Cave, olding gilroy, henshaw, cronin at Munster I’d be confident.
I had a tenner on Murray at 45/1 for first try scorer and I yet haven’t been this depressed since my da died.Why God why?!?!Just let us win once :(
Dan,
Buy a trip to France for the Grand Slam game.
That will cheer you up.
I had the same but only 2 euro. Murray is always a good bet for first try. Got the first try down in Christchurch last year. Still it’s only a small consolation!
Cannot believe we threw this one away. I was there & we had it in the bag.
Irish media – would yis ever STOP praising heroic failures 100% ? Make no mistake we should have won this game. The reason we did not was that we threw it away. Praising f**k-ups of this magnitude means they’ll keep happening.
Ireland Threw it away after performing heroics, which makes it worse.
This one was worse than the last time we threw it away against NZ, the second Test of the 2008 tour. This has to stop.
Understandable frustration, but this seems only to stop when New Zealand decides!
It has become so much in the psyche at this point, that it’s fearful! How amazing were Ireland? And yet the script unfolded!
The Kiwis just instinctively never really panic, and despite all the bravery of the collision victories from Ireland, that mental doubt creeps back – Is that an armchair/hindsight synopsis?
I just hope we learn more from this one than they do, because if it’s them, we are facing a long period of what if’s against this great nation! Well done New Zealand! Heroic Ireland – thank you for an amazing turn around!!!
Let’s be honest we lost had or chances didn’t take them.
Back in your hole troll
We played exceptionally well against the world champions who are unbeaten all year. We made mistakes and should have Ron but the performance level from last week to this was a testament to players and management. Tired bodies and minds in second half. Really gutted but at least there is hope where there was despair last week. So for once would the trolls get back into their boxes.
Pride does not win matches was in the bag and lost it when will we stop praising losses and start asking how did we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.Moral victories never won anything.So please stop rejoicing in being second best .
Constantly knocking the team does not help in any way. The players know they let it slip. They don’t need armchair jockeys to tell them.
The lads now know what it takes to win and I think they can take this and move on from here.every game for Ireland should be played like u are never playing again and today they played that way. I went home tonight a disapointed but immensely proud Irish man
For some that doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m still sick over the result and manner of it. But it’s what we do from here that’s important. If we can get a few guys like D Ryan, tommy o Donnell & Zebo fit it will strengthen the squad. If we can bring this intensity into the 6 nations we have a real chance. Lets hope we don’t just perform like this on a once off.
How do they know how to win when they didn’t even score in the second half!
This was the best chance in my lifetime to beat New Zealand. Hugely disappointing. We had our chance. – and we blew it .
2015 in England. Just believe.
Ppl please!!! We as Irish ppl need to stop being happy with an ” exceptionally good loss” all the pundits are talking about it, it will be in all the papers tomorrow how bravely the guys lost. That’s not what professional sport is about. Today’s result is the same as last wks. The team proved today they are real contenders for any major competition but they have got to produce that on every outing that’s what professional sport is about!! We as fans of a great rugby team should expect that every time they represent us,anything less just isn’t good enough when they can play like they did today.
Whilst I agree with you it’s at least good to see its in the players. It’s up t0 Schmidt & the players to perform like that on a consistent basis.
I dont buy into the whole moral victory bit but I do think that there was a lot to be proud of and thankful for in todays performance. After a poor 6 Nations and a terrible defeat to Australia last week it was great to see the lads do what we have all suspected that they were capable of and match and often outplay the best team in the world. Ok we lost on the the scoreboard but it was only because of a uncharacteristic miss by Sexton. Had that gone over it would not have changed the performance, just the result.
Basically this was one test match….no trophy at stake. And yes while it would have been nice to get that monkey off our backs of never having beaten the ABs what we did gain was the knowledge that there is no one we should be afraid of. Thats important with a very competitive 6 Nations coming up and a World cup the following year. Of todays squad only BOD wont be available for 2015.
I think this performance will do Irish rugby the world of good. And we still have Ferris Zebo and Earls to come back. No point wallowing in self pity. Learn the lessons and move on. Watch out England Wales and France.
How many people hung around for fields of Athenry???
4
There were positives…but we lost. And that’s the only thing ringing through my head today. 30 seconds of ball retention away from winning
Sick of this Good Losers Tag We blew it We could have done with Donncha O Callaghan for 15 mins and Luke fitzgerald a sub on Leinster B team getting a run when we dropped Luke Marshall 3 months to find Talent not much required Best is a loss too