happyhippy Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Comprehensively beaten; no complaints about the result. Well done to the Pumas, they're not ranked fourth in the world for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhippy Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 True, there'll be four Southern Hemisphere sides in the semis. It seems us Northern Hemisphere sides can't get to grips with Southern Hemisphere rugby. To be honest, today was more our fault for not getting the bonus point against Georgia (a nation with just eight rugby pitches), and therefore we needed the four tries today. We had to run everything, as witnessed in the first minute when Ronan kicked for touch, when under other circumstances, he would gladly have taken the three points. We were our own downfall, but as I put earlier on the thread, I had reservations before a ball was kicked in anger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heyesey Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 To be honest, today was more our fault for not getting the bonus point against Georgia (a nation with just eight rugby pitches), and therefore we needed the four tries today. We had to run everything, as witnessed in the first minute when Ronan kicked for touch, when under other circumstances, he would gladly have taken the three points. It does radically change things; looking at the scoreline people will think Ireland couldn't have beaten Argentina anyway, but if they hadn't been in such need of tried, and only needed a bare win, they'd have had a lot more points on the board early. Anyway, not a good tournament for the Home Nations. England and Scotland stumbled into the quarters, and Wales and Ireland stumbled out of them. Most sympathy for Ireland, since the advance of the Pumas in the last four years left them in easily the toughest group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecracker Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share Posted September 30, 2007 The sort of scores the Argentinians were running up in their previous group matches should have acted as a warning for the Irish. Ireland only beat Georgia 14-10, whilst the Pumas pummelled them 33-3. Likewise against Namibia, Ireland scored 32 points compared with Argentina's 63 - and there was Argentina's 17-12 defeat of France. Altogether, it would have meant an uphill match for Ireland - even had they only needed a bare win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAIRBOY Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 How times have changed? I remember November 2000 sitting in stair-rods of rain watching England beat an impotent Argentina side 19-0 and vowing never to waste my time again, going to watch "non-event" teams! I've no sympathy for Ireland, I saw this coming. Thanks Denis Hickie for a wonderful career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heyesey Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 How times have changed? I remember November 2000 sitting in stair-rods of rain watching England beat an impotent Argentina side 19-0 and vowing never to waste my time again, going to watch "non-event" teams! I remember when Rumania were in much the same position that Italy were the early part of this decade - capable of knocking over the Home Nations, if they played well and us badly, but not really in the same league - and between the early '80s and the present, they've turned into a completely useless outfit. The Pumas have always been tough to beat at home, but they never used to travel well; they've definitely cured that problem. Even the really rubbish teams have shown us a few interesting moments - the USA have one of the fastest wingers I've seen for some time, he just scored against South Africa in the first half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code13 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Romania's team were heavily invested in during the Communist years though. They have struggled since their state funding collapsed. Argentina were simply better than Ireland yesterday, no complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAIRBOY Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 "Ireland's Fall" http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2007/comment/depression-looming-over-beleaguered-team-1092883.html http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2007/comment/ireland-have-been-world-cup-laughing-stock-1092886.html http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2007/comment/the-worst-result-ever-1092885.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heyesey Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Romania's team were heavily invested in during the Communist years though. They have struggled since their state funding collapsed. Good point ... dunno why I never thought of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 ... Most sympathy for Ireland, since the advance of the Pumas in the last four years left them in easily the toughest group. I'm not so sympathetic. I think that if they'd been in Group A instead of England, they'd have finished fourth. The fixtures worked out well for England in that the two crunch games came after a couple of weeks when selection and cohesion had improved massively. The smart money will be on an all southern hemisphere semifinal line up, South Africa should demolish Fiji and Argentina look to have too much for Scotland. The other two fixtures could spring a surprise with the French always capable of producing an unstoppable one-off performance. It strikes me that Australia and New Zealand haven't been tested at all and so don't necessarily know their best combinations and how best to counter different opposition styles. England and France have clearly changed things round and improved massively after desperately poor starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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