World Rugby 2021 thread.

[happynz]

All Blacks roll past undercooked Wales. Beauden Barrett gets two tries on the occasion of his hundredth test match (okay, he should have been yellow carded early in the game for a deliberate knock on).

[AntRobertson]

I thought Wales played better than the score line suggests.

I was also quite drunk so...

[PlanK]

I wish I was drunk. Got up at 5 o'clock in the bladdy morning. At least the Barrets made it worth it.

Next one's at 2 in the morning. That's gonna be a d/l.

[AntRobertson]

I need to work on my timing.

Cracking a beer early arvo for a 2PM-ish kick off is not the same as a 11:15PM kick off.

[Saint Willy]

I need to work on my timing.

Cracking a beer early arvo for a 2PM-ish kick off is not the same as a 11:15PM kick off.

my first beer was at 7:00pm… and I still did not manage to stay watch the game. Went to bed after the first game. To be fair I start most days around 4:00am so a midnight game is always going to be a challenge.

[AntRobertson]

I made it all the way through but boy am I feeling it today!

Shit I just remembered too, I randomly bumped into Tony Slats last night... He was wearing a dress.

[Saint Willy]

Tony Slats last night... He was wearing a dress.

course he was. Did you get a picture?

[AntRobertson]

Nope and I'm kinda worried now that it was such a 'normal' thing to happen that it kinda blurred into the rest of the night and I'd forgotten it.

[AntRobertson]

Damn

Rugby: Former All Black Carl Hayman diagnosed with early-onset dementia, aged 41 - NZ Herald

[happynz]

He's only 41. That's awful for him and his whānau.

[AntRobertson]

Dreadful, hard to go past the rugby links / causes too.

[panama hat]

A big discussion re-opened about rugby at schools . . . and the style of play now

[Little Chuchok]

Dreadful, hard to go past the rugby links / causes too.

True, but the man was a piss head to the max. From what I have been told, he would drink to 'blackout' every week. The amount, allegedly, was staggering.

[harrybarracuda]

True, but the man was a piss head to the max. From what I have been told, he would drink to 'blackout' every week. The amount, allegedly, was staggering.

Yeah but...

"Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and repeated blows to the head. It is also associated with the development of dementia.".

[Little Chuchok]

Yeah but...

Yep I agree. It would also be interesting to see what lifestyle has to do with it.

Another terrible story is about Steve Thompson. He can't remember his World Cup Victory...or any part of the tournament.

[harrybarracuda]

I'm not an expert on the peanut hugging by any means, but Scotland beating Australia is an och the noo moment.

[Saint Willy]

It was a French ref, still pissed about the submarines

[panama hat]

Jaysus . . . is that three in a row?


Clearly we need to up our game, emulate the ABs and get even more Pacific bruhs in the team

[David48atTD]

Where is the consistency in the TMO? Yellow for Alalatoa and nothing for the gouge on Hooper?

It was a French ref, still pissed about the submarines

[David48atTD]

Anyone up at sparrow's fart to watch the convicts lose to the soap dodgers?

[Saint Willy]

Anyone up at sparrow's fart to watch the convicts lose to the soap dodgers?

Hmmmm, I'll b watching the game. but I think the results may be different...

[AntRobertson]

Not to detract from a superb Irish effort, but Ian Foster's stench of mediocrity is all over this All Blacks team.

No discernable game plan and relying too much on individual brilliance. He has to go.

The only positive is that Ireland would've put 40-50 on most other teams playing like that.

[Reg Dingle]

Get a dead dingos kunt up ya, fuckos!!

[David48atTD]

If Rugby is dying, it's due, in part to the crap rules and refereeing.

Penalty for a 'seat belt tackle' ... WTF


Penalty for a 'obstruction' The guy (protecting the kick receiver) didn't change his line.
Yes, he slowed his run, but no Rugby is telling players how fast they should run ... WTF.

[Saint Willy]

Ireland stun New Zealand as Rónan Kelleher sparks second-half onslaught

• Ireland 29-20 New Zealand
• Trio of late penalties from Joey Carbery seal shock win

Ireland celebrate beating New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile/Getty Ireland celebrated their greatest win of the Andy Farrell era so far as they deservedly held on to defeat New Zealand 29-20 in a pulsating encounter in Dublin. The Irish controlled much of a frenetic contest against the world’s top-ranked side to send a boisterous Aviva Stadium crowd home happy.
A trio of late penalties from Joey Carbery ultimately proved crucial following tries from native Kiwi James Lowe, Rónan Kelleher and Caelan Doris.
New Zealand, who lost their influential fly-half Beauden Barrett to injury early on, arrived in record-breaking form having scored an unprecedented 675 points and 96 tries in winning 12 of 13 fixtures this calendar year.


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Although Ian Foster’s side struggled to contain the hosts, they remained within touching distance until the final whistle following scores from Codie Taylor and Will Jordan, while Akira Ioane had a try chalked off.

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But they could have few complaints about the end result as Ireland impressively registered only a third win from 33 meetings with their opponents to partially avenge their World Cup quarter-final exit of 2019, which marked the end of Joe Schmidt’s reign.
Ireland’s build-up included the disruption of undergoing additional PCR testing on Friday following the false alarm of a potential case of coronavirus for an unnamed player, in addition to a letter of support from US president Joe Biden, who has Irish ancestry.
The home side met the haka by taking a collective stride forward before a rendition of The Fields of Athenry broke out among the stadium’s first capacity crowd for a rugby match in almost two years.
Ireland did not look to be unduly affected by the previous day’s Covid-19 episode and began like a team intent on building on last weekend’s impressive demolition of Japan.
Despite requiring a remarkable combined tackle from Garry Ringrose and Andrew Conway to stop Jordie Barrett crossing early on, they deservedly went ahead in the immediate aftermath of Taylor being sent to the sin-bin after catching Johnny Sexton’s head with a shoulder.
Quick ball from right to left culminated in Hugo Keenan teeing up former Maori All Blacks player Lowe – one of three native Kiwis in Ireland’s starting XV – to dive over in the left corner for the second-successive week.
“Never in a million years did I think this day would come,” Lowe said. “I dreamt of being an All Black as a kid. I gave up that dream as I wasn’t good enough, and to come over here, to hear my native country anthem and stand in front of the haka, it’s a childhood dream.”
That 15th-minute score increased the noise in the stands but was swiftly tempered by Jordie Barrett slotting a penalty to reduce the deficit after Sexton missed the conversion.
Ireland’s captain Sexton later received on-field treatment for an apparent leg injury before the scoreboard swung in the All Blacks’ favour in an action-packed three minutes.
After Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong had a try disallowed following incessant home pressure, the Kiwis broke and the returning Taylor latched on to Dalton Papalii’s pass to touch down, with Jordie Barrett adding the extras to ensure they led at the break.
Ireland continued to pen the visitors back but were lacking the clinical edge their head coach Farrell had called for at his pre-match press conference. They improved considerably on that front early in the second period.
Hooker Kelleher bulldozed over to level the scores at 10-10 with his sixth try from only seven international starts. Sexton struck the posts with his conversion but made no mistake seven minutes later after flanker Doris exploited a gap in the All Blacks defence to charge clear into their 22 and dot down to the delight of the home crowd.
“Such a special feeling having a full crowd back, we waited for it for so long,” said Doris after the game.
Despite Ireland’s prolonged dominance, the three-time world champions refused to roll over. New Zealand winger Jordan helped bring them to within just three points, chipping over the top and then receiving the ball back from Rieko Ioane to zoom clear and touch down.
Sexton departed gingerly for a head injury assessment 15 minutes from time and replacement Carbery soon kicked a penalty to make it 23-17 during an influential cameo. New Zealand threatened to steal what would have been a unmerited victory when Akira Ioane dotted down.
But that score was eventually ruled out for a forward pass and they had to settle for just the consolation of another Jordie Barrett penalty.

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Ireland, who complete their autumn campaign at home to Argentina next weekend, will embark on a three-Test tour of New Zealand next summer and were not to be denied. A couple more penalties from Carbery guaranteed a seventh-successive win, prompting a deafening noise from the delirious terraces followed by a lap of honour.

Ireland stun New Zealand as Ronan Kelleher sparks second-half onslaught | Autumn internationals | The Guardian