Page 20 - Irish Examiner USA

20 sportsexaminer

2019 The Party’s Over

23rd,

October By Barry Coughlan Australia put them to the sword champions in 2018, perhaps peaked a course, was not the preferable route

| o, the party is over but this was no recently only for New Zealand to hit year too soon. He may not have been taking on the All Blacks. We came up
the Wallabies for 36 points the follow-
far off the mark given the drubbings
party for Ireland and particularly for
against a team where it showed there is
EXAMINER Sdeparting coach Joe Schmidt and the ing week. See? they suffered to England and Wales in still a big gulf in class when it comes to
this year’s Six Nations. Coincidentally,
the top moments of the rugby calendar,
The best way – probably the only
captain Rory Best who were left to reflect
the World Cup. We are yet to peak
sadly on their last day.
way - to beat New Zealand is to get
both of these teams are now in the
For two men who have served
IRISH Ireland with great distinction, one with ahead of them on the scoreboard and to World Cup semi-finals! when we get there and now we have to
“We have been flat this year. When
wait another long four years to have
continue getting in their faces. What
another shot at it.”
you reach a height I think there’s always
a 75 per cent success record as coach
happened Saturday was the other way
and another with a massive 120 caps to around. a risk you slip off that height a little bit. Another former skipper, Paul
his credit, it was really no way to bow The intensity of the New Zealand I don’t think there was any complacen- O’Connell, believes the damage was
out. But sport is cruel at times and the defense was evident from the begin- cy but we made a target of ourselves – done in the loss to Japan. “I’m sure
New Zealand All Blacks can be particu- ning, the brilliance of their attack even teams certainly went after us a little bit Ireland would have been better playing
larly cruel when they’re in this kind of more so. Ireland made a total of 17 han- more where we were able to sneak up against South Africa. There is a lot of
mood. dling errors through the game and fell on New Zealand and on a few other talk in the northern hemisphere that we
I remember back at the first World off tackles. That gave them no chance teams. have a jump on the southern hemi-
Cup in 1987 remarking to All Black cap- whatsoever, and the game was over at “I know New Zealand were up for sphere teams in terms of defense, set
tain David Kirk following a 70 points half time. this game but we gave them a bit of a pieces. But in terms of ball-handling, the
win over Italy that they could have That Ireland scored at all in the 46-14 leg up and you can’t afford to do that. ability to pass under pressure and play
gone easy on their hapless opponents. defeat was a miracle in itself but at least We didn’t make the most of field posi- with ball in hand on the big occasion,
His response was to argue against such they saved some face. Not much, but tion and opportunity when we did we are still miles behind New Zealand.”
a notion, saying something like this: “If some. make those chances. There were a few And so it comes down to the last
they want to learn then they have to To beat the holders, one would have elements of our game that stood up four, England v New Zealand; Wales v
take a beating, or several beatings along needed to be on top of the game and well – the lineout and scrum I thought South Africa.
the way.” particularly needed would have been were solid – but you need more than The match between England and the
This World Cup quarter final last big performances from the big players that.” All Blacks has all the makings of a classic
Saturday was something the All Blacks like Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray, Best, trying to put on a brave face, given the fact that both strolled through
had waited for based on the fact that like Rob Kearney, Best, Tadgh Furlong, said: “The All Blacks were fantastic, their respective quarter finals; England
Ireland had beaten them twice in the James Ryan, CJ Stander and Peter really, really clinical. We felt we had a were almost as impressive as they swept
last three years, once in Chicago and O’Mahony. None of them will want to game plan and enough in our armoury Australia aside.
once in Dublin. The All Blacks don’t do remember this game for any good rea- to beat them but they started well, came The match between Wales and the
defeat very well and the thirst for son. out of the blocks hard at us and put us Springboks is equally hard to call. Wales
revenge was uppermost in their think- Schmidt, in his post-match analysis, on the back foot. Like good sides do struggled to beat France and had to wait
ing once the build up started. admitted that Ireland, Grand Slam they never let us off that hook again.” until four minutes from the end to get
Commentator after commentator the try/conversion that gave them a 20-
Sean Downes expressed shock at the poor Irish per- 19 win.
formance; most of them – and the fans –
South Africa were dragged around
believed there was one big performance the pitch by a gallant Japan for the entire
Attorney at Law in this Irish team, at least one big first half, after which they led by just
enough to make New Zealand sweat.
two points before sheer physical power
67 Wall Street, Suite 2401 Former Irish captain and rugby icon took its toll.
New York, New York 10005-3101 Brian O’Driscoll was particularly trou- Still, the team known as the Brave
Telephone: (212) 248-3232 Fax (212) 248-2848 bled by the capitulation. As Ireland once Blossoms have left rugby supporters in
Representing those injured in: again bowed out at the quarter-final Japan and throughout the world with a
SCAFFOLDING ACCIDENTS CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS stage, O’Driscoll observed: “Yes, there warm glow.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
AND ALL OTHER ACCIDENT CASES were a few hiccups earlier in the year Now, if only Ireland could play
but we felt we could get there. This, of something like that... C

T h e E x a m i n e r P u z z l e S o l u t i o n s

Solution to this Week’s Solution to this Week’s Easy Su Solution to this Week’s Medium
Crossword Doku Puzzle Su Doku Puzzle