Ireland v South Africa - 22/11/2025

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Two world champions and WR's refereeing gold standard claiming they don't understand the rules anymore.



And the same refs and WR authorities responsible for this shitstorm will still be there, doing pretty much the same the next test window.

 

[dirty harry]

True, Vamos Argentina!!! Edit: Nvm that's tomorrow. Now we are sadly just going to watch Australia capitulate…

Im not sure, France are looking shaky.

 

[saulan]

Im not sure, France are looking shaky.

Maybe, but nothing has been shakier than how Australia has been performing this year.

 

[jackie d]

Maybe, but nothing has been shakier than how Australia has been performing this year.

France could run away with this.long year for Aus and France looking for response from poor showing last week

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Interesting game. Gargantuan effort from Ireland, but RSA are just on another level.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Lotta sour grapes in this thread. I’ll remember this the next time Saffers are accused of being harsh on the ref.

 

[jackie d]

Interesting game. Gargantuan effort from Ireland, but RSA are just on another level.

They were very poor. That stone wall yellow/red not been given changed a lot. Basically size won the game. Poor against 12,13,14 men. Plus on another day their scrums could be called as illegal as as nad a porter was he collapsed inwards a lot from crooked scrumaging.
Next manager up against them should highlight it like SA with refs and see do refs go with it

 

[jackie d]

Lotta sour grapes in this thread. I'll remember this the next time Saffers are accused of being harsh on the ref.

They were all week in the media and it worked. Fair play to them and everyone should do it. But refs need to be stronger

 

[munstermuffin]

Firstly South Africa won no complaints so congratulations.

However the style is horrific. They have talent but seem hooked on just power and no more.

On the ref. No complaints either. He was correct for all calls I think except the SA 10.

On Ireland all the talk is on 10. Sam struggles massively with defensive side and until.that is sorted it will hamstring us as alot of changing positionally to try hide him. Jack has his faults too and my point isn't to hammer any 10 but say the opposite. 10 wasn't really issue tonight but we have bigger issues. And if the overall squad isn't sorted then Andy will have probably his biggest challenge to gel a squad for RWC.

 

[jackie d]

Firstly South Africa won no complaints so congratulations.

However the style is horrific. They have talent but seem hooked on just power and no more.

On the ref. No complaints either. He was correct for all calls I think except the SA 10.

On Ireland all the talk is on 10. Sam struggles massively with defensive side and until.that is sorted it will hamstring us as alot of changing positionally to try hide him. Jack has his faults too and my point isn't to hammer any 10 but say the opposite. 10 wasn't really issue tonight but we have bigger issues. And if the overall squad isn't sorted then Andy will have probably his biggest challenge to gel a squad for RWC.

I think the rush of madness from ryan cost us big time. 15 on 15 its a mile different game. Or 14 on 15 as it should.
However the easy peno miss from sam led to the red. Should have been nailed on.
On the ref i thought he was poor throughout tbh. Lot of scrummaging was sideways, although porter again was poor the power made it look like ireland were illegal.Cynical play not punished both ways but ireland never adapted and should have at this level

 

[ChicagoKid]

Firstly South Africa won no complaints so congratulations.

However the style is horrific. They have talent but seem hooked on just power and no more.

On the ref. No complaints either. He was correct for all calls I think except the SA 10.

On Ireland all the talk is on 10. Sam struggles massively with defensive side and until.that is sorted it will hamstring us as alot of changing positionally to try hide him. Jack has his faults too and my point isn't to hammer any 10 but say the opposite. 10 wasn't really issue tonight but we have bigger issues. And if the overall squad isn't sorted then Andy will have probably his biggest challenge to gel a squad for RWC.

They tried expansive and it didn’t work in the second half. The first try was a thing of beauty.

Ireland has had a bad scrum for years. It cost you in the QF. It cost you today.

Fix it

 

[ChicagoKid]

I think the rush of madness from ryan cost us big time. 15 on 15 its a mile different game. Or 14 on 15 as it should.
However the easy peno miss from sam led to the red. Should have been nailed on.
On the ref i thought he was poor throughout tbh. Lot of scrummaging was sideways, although porter again was poor the power made it look like ireland were illegal.Cynical play not punished both ways but ireland never adapted and should have at this level

Furlong was poor too.

Imagine if Ox was fit? Ireland got dominated by a scrum that doesn’t even have their first choice props.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lotta sour grapes in this thread. I'll remember this the next time Saffers are accused of being harsh on the ref.

Shouldn't you support America rather than the world champs

 

[munstermuffin]

I think the rush of madness from ryan cost us big time. 15 on 15 its a mile different game. Or 14 on 15 as it should.
However the easy peno miss from sam led to the red. Should have been nailed on.
On the ref i thought he was poor throughout tbh. Lot of scrummaging was sideways, although porter again was poor the power made it look like ireland were illegal.Cynical play not punished both ways but ireland never adapted and should have at this level

Yes but we were in trouble even 15 v 15. We were beaten badly in physicality. Sam wasn't great today and I could easily go provincial way but we all sick of that. Fact is no half back would look good behind that pack. You always felt SA just had that bit more

 

[munstermuffin]

Furlong was poor too.

Imagine if Ox was fit? Ireland got dominated by a scrum that doesn't even have their first choice props.

Furlong was actually the 1 Ireland front rower who had a very good game

 

[ChicagoKid]

Shouldn't you support America rather than the world champs

Chicago Hounds & Springboks.

 

[munstermuffin]

Chicago Hounds & Springboks.

Must be bad if you can't support your own

 

[ChicagoKid]

Furlong was actually the 1 Ireland front rower who had a very good game

In the loose, fine. In the scrum, it was bad. If Ox was healthy, Furlong gets at least 1 yellow himself.

I’ve warned Ireland fans for years about the scrum and they still let Porter go out there. He’s a complete liability.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Must be bad if you can't support your own

It is bad. We lost 85-0 to Scotland.

Your little digs are about as effective as Doris trying to convince Carley that Wilco Louw wasn’t annihilating your loose heads.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

They were very poor.

By their own standards? Agreed. Yet they somehow managed not only to win, but to be in control. All the time. It's not that they didn't push hard enough or weren't clinical enough. they just had no incentive to take those chances. They had the score lead, fresher legs and a better scrum. And if push comes to shove, they have the most resilient 5 meter defense in the sport's history.
That's what is so effective. so brutally constrictive, about their strategy. They don't just get the penalty, take the 3 points and restart. They slowly push you closer and closer to another yellow card. And they force you to make uncomfortable decisions (like putting Aki as a flanker. 'Correct' but risky) and force you to take quite a considerable amount of risks. The most dangerous aspect of their strategy is that it snowballs beautifully. Physically, psychologically, score wise.

Anyway. Other issues. How is it that the refs awarded a penalty try without issuing a yellow card NOT a scandal? It's not just that the ref, tmo and assistant refs missed it. Every south african player did so too. Coaches and staff, too. I really, really dont get it.