Ireland's chances in the RWC?

[farva]

Ireland have a good record recently against the saffers. Ireland tend to be the saffers bogey team (England is ours, Scotland for the Argies and France for the kiwis).
If they beat us to top the pool (not unlikely) then they face six nation opponents right up to the final (assuming that the saffers and kiwis top their pool). They would like their chances against each of these teams.
Once in the final its really 50/50 as to whether its they face the ABs or Boks. And lets face it, it will be the Boks as the ABs will choke. (if we dont top our pool, we wont beat the saffers then the ABs so wont progress to the final).

If Ireland do end up facing the Boks (or ABs) in the final, they must like their chances. The Boks (or ABs) would have got up for their game in the semis, and that would have been their final. They would consider winning that as essentially winning the tournament. Finishing top of their pool would give them a real opportunity to win.

The big one for Ireland is that their first team is quite good. But it goes downhill after that. For them to succeed in the RWC, they need good luck with their injuries. They have the same depth issue as us, if not worse.

Oh, and not everyone who migrated over here from PR is that bad...

 

[Bullrush]

Ireland have a good record recently against the saffers. Ireland tend to be the saffers bogey team (England is ours, Scotland for the Argies and France for the kiwis).
If they beat us to top the pool (not unlikely) then they face six nation opponents right up to the final (assuming that the saffers and kiwis top their pool). They would like their chances against each of these teams.
Once in the final its really 50/50 as to whether its they face the ABs or Boks. And lets face it, it will be the Boks as the ABs will choke. (if we dont top our pool, we wont beat the saffers then the ABs so wont progress to the final).

If Ireland do end up facing the Boks (or ABs) in the final, they must like their chances. The Boks (or ABs) would have got up for their game in the semis, and that would have been their final. They would consider winning that as essentially winning the tournament. Finishing top of their pool would give them a real opportunity to win.

The big one for Ireland is that their first team is quite good. But it goes downhill after that. For them to succeed in the RWC, they need good luck with their injuries. They have the same depth issue as us, if not worse.

Oh, and not everyone who migrated over here from PR is that bad...

I don't think Ireland will want to play the ABs at any stage.....it's a big stage to be looking for your first win over a team.

Not impossible by any means but a definite long-shot.

 

[farva]

I don't think Ireland will want to play the ABs at any stage.....it's a big stage to be looking for your first win over a team.

Not impossible by any means but a definite long-shot.

A world cup final after the ABs had hit the Boks in the semis (or even us) would be the ideal time to look for your first win. They will be packing their bags with the cup in tow in their minds if they beat the boks knowing they will face Ireland in the final. It would be like the Wallabies in 2007 looking to their clash with France in the semi, and hence losing to England.

Not saying the Irish are likely to do it, but it would be their best chance.

 

[fatprop]

Ireland's chances in the RWC?

Less than Aus's

 

[Bullrush]

A world cup final after the ABs had hit the Boks in the semis (or even us) would be the ideal time to look for your first win. They will be packing their bags with the cup in tow in their minds if they beat the boks knowing they will face Ireland in the final. It would be like the Wallabies in 2007 looking to their clash with France in the semi, and hence losing to England.

Not saying the Irish are likely to do it, but it would be their best chance.

Yeah...fair enuff....it would make a great movie one day if they did pull it off !!

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Records are records. They're in the past. They're hardly relevent for the present or future. Irelansd stats against the Wallabies are bad mainly because they weren't really a playing nation before the professional era. Since 1995 their record is much more even against us. Neither one of us especially hammers the other like the case was in the distant past.

Anyone who watched the 6N will of seen Ireland were building up to that England game, and i firmly believe they would of put the same score past England even if it was in twickenham. All through the tournament they played great in their phases only for a stupid knock on or mistake to thwart their progress.

I can tell you now that this Ireland team isnt past it - simply because past it imply's they'll go back to being average. The average age of this team is something like 27, hardly past it especially when the All Black team that played Ireland last november had 29 as their average, and the boks 30. Are the All Blacks past it too lads?
If we go in with this arrogance into the game, Ireland will do an england on us and could well hockey us. Dont fall for the past it excuse or the 'they're from the northern hemisphere!' excuse - our first team could barely beat their third team last summer! at home. Ignorance and arrogance are at the centre of a teams downfall. The all blacks never underestimate and its perhaps why they're the best nation, every decade, all the time.

I agree that avg age 27 isnt old, it really irks me the obsession with age some people have in sport, some act like as soon as your in your late 20s/early 30s then you automatically are over the hill. Nathan Sharpe is pretty good eg of how that is a load of crap.

 

[uncle fester]

My memory of that last game at Croke park was that the Irish thought they would beat the wallabies because they were six nations champs. but it turned out that the Wallabies had the wood over them in just about every facet of the game, including the scrum. However with the home crowd behind them they managed to pull out a draw at the death through some miscommuncation in defense. They were VERY lucky to draw that, as I clearly remember that the Wallabies looked the stronger of the two side.

That's debatable really. Australia's first try came from a mix-up between O'Gara & O'Driscoll and Palu was off for a period when there were no scores whatsoever. I was at the game and the feeling I had walking away from it was that both teams were somewhat below par. The perception that Ireland were lucky to draw could just as easily be reversed to "Australia were lucky to be gifted 7 points in the first few minutes of the game". The Irish scrum was a disaster area but the Aussies lost 5 lineouts. The number of line breaks/defenders beaten are not all that lopsided either. The match stats indicate a relatively even game.

As for the world cup, Ireland could beat Oz but Oz will be clear favourites for this game.

 

[qwerty51]

That match will always be remembered as the Kaplan fuck up match.

Sends off Palu for a legit hit and then does nothing to Kearney who actually shoulder charges Elsom in the act of scoring.

 

[potogold]

i think what we can all agree on is that it will be a cracker of a game!!. the front row battle. THE BACK ROW BATTLE SHOULD BE UNREAL!, the two 10s, the centre pairings and the back 3s. it is shaping up quite nicely and will be a fascinating game, gotta love the world cup when u see the NH vs SH in big games. go ireland