Ireland v South Africa - 22/11/2025

[jackie d]

Is $140 a lot or a little?

Its scandalous really. Fans been priced out to watch that shite

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

If all they are relying on is power, that's incredibly limited as a gameplan and others should find ways to beat it or mimic it if it's so successful.

I've never understood about complaining how people are winning. It's very much a "you" problem, not a them problem. It's for the rest of the world to find out how to beat it.. Can you tire them out? Can you get your own big lumps in to front up to their big lumps? Can you do something to nullify their power? Really limited gameplans should be easy to beat.

I don't think South Africa have just power, they can use it but you don't get their record by bludgeoning your way to victory because you get found out. Wales with Warrenball used to operate like that and, after a period of success, they got found out and teams countered them.

I say this as someone who thoroughly dislikes South Africa as a team and many of their fans but they clearly have a working formula and it's for everyone else to figure out how to beat it, not whine about it.

Yep.

The Boks have more in their locker, but in a scrappy match the power game’s just fine. It’s about winning and you can’t really argue with their record. They’ll always have some big beasts but whether the next generation will be quite as good as Etzebeth, du Toit etc is another matter.

I never used to complain when Sheridan beat Australia with the other 14 watching. If you’ve got a clear advantage in one area, why wouldn’t you play to it?

 

[munstermuffin]

As the Saffas said to me in 2022, who gives a ****, there's a world cup soon.

We were ******* awful, had a ref who decided the winner pre-kick off (thankfully not influential to the result unlike the 2024 CC Final) and still we're competitive in parts.

Everyone will forget about us because we don't belong at the top table of rugby, but this is a squad that'll show up in two years time.

Sadly though the ref got almost everything right.

 

[munstermuffin]

Scrum wise we were in trouble but around the pitch tackling wise etc esp when 15 v 15 we matched. Of course then that drive is taken out of the legs when down so many

Yes but we lacked power in tackle and while we manned up it hard see us stay the distance.
South Africa powered us out of it like did we get in the 22 once in 2nd half

 

[Welsh Exile]

Is $140 a lot or a little?

It’s a ridiculous amount.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Sadly though the ref got almost everything right.

I mean SA shpuld have had the first yellow and there was scope to just let the game be played a bit. I was saying last night that if there was an any way decent ref there last night SA could have won by 50 or lost by 3 but there was just no chance to play the game.

James Ryan needs read the riot act, he was our most critical player yesterday considering we're down on second rows and gets himself sent off in a ruck he absolutely did not need to go into.

 

[munstermuffin]

I mean SA shpuld have had the first yellow and there was scope to just let the game be played a bit. I was saying last night that if there was an any way decent ref there last night SA could have won by 50 or lost by 3 but there was just no chance to play the game.

James Ryan needs read the riot act, he was our most critical player yesterday considering we're down on second rows and gets himself sent off in a ruck he absolutely did not need to go into.

Don't get me wrong first 1 for SA could have been red. But all our offences were poor. And deserved. Sam Prendergast one wasn't him poor just it was a penalty and he was the 1 in the string.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Thats what you picked up regarding the refs??

Among other things. Get back to me when that train of thought leaves the station.

 

[Jimbo]

As odder game as it was the Irish have to be proud of the effort of the boys who didn’t sit out due to cards both teams defence was breath taking at times, especially some of what Ireland endured when down to 13, genuinely not sure if the bocks just didn’t have the incentive to push the scoreboard or Irelands defence was that heroic, probably a bit of both, some of the mopping up at 15 in the second half (Crowley I think) was immense.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

I mean SA shpuld have had the first yellow and there was scope to just let the game be played a bit.

Ok, help me out. Given what has happened in the past weeks, why do you think that should have been a yellow and not a red?
Always illegal (so no mitigations), but even if it was, there want a significant drop, no attempt to wrap whatsoever, hits the head, with force. I am literally lost for words. And again, i dont think this would have changed the outcome, but i cannot understand how a ref can look at that play on the big screen and claim he is not convinced that was a no-arms tackle.

And some people are praising his performance. What the actual ****?

 

[Jimbo]

Ok, help me out. Given what has happened in the past weeks, why do you think that should have been a yellow and not a red?
Always illegal (so no mitigations), but even if it was, there want a significant drop, no attempt to wrap whatsoever, hits the head, with force. I am literally lost for words. And again, i dont think this would have changed the outcome, but i cannot understand how a ref can look at that play on the big screen and claim he is not convinced that was a no-arms tackle.

And some people are praising his performance. What the actual ****?

So much of it comes down to how you interpret it, it was very quick he couldn’t have known the player would be tackled they were all running at full tilt, there were certainly no arms used but was that a side affect of trying to pull out of an exceptionally dynamic situation rather than trying to charge with the shoulder, if you believe it was there should be scope for a level of lenience and feel this is why it might be a YC and not a red I’d not really have an issue with it either way tbh it wasn’t a blatant act of obvious thuggery, appreciate what you are saying about recent interpretations though rugby doesn’t help itself at times, part of me also feels this is MC trying to avoid being in Rassies post game rants. Hard to say he does have a bit of history of odd inconsistent decisions though without bias.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

it was very quick he couldn't have known the player would be tackled they were all running at full tilt

That's the thing: If we've learned one and only one thing over the last two weeks is that that sort of mitigation doesn't apply for "always-illegal" acts.

There was direct contact to the head, with force, high degree of danger and no mitigations should apply. I am following exactly the same criteria that was applied the last two weeks.

there were certainly no arms used

The ref said, in front of over 50,000 people that he wasn't convinced that was a no-arms tackle. He didn't even flinch.
This is what i find so troubling. You used the word "interpret" in your first sentence. I could live with that. I could understand a situation in which the ref and i saw the same thing (facts) and we just disagreed on the interpretation (i.e. did the drop was fast enough to prevent the tackler to adjust heigh, or something along those lines). But that is not the case. I see a video with a RSA player using no arms to tackle an Irish player and the ref tells me that he is seeing something else. We disagree on the facts. And those facts aren't just different. They contradict each other.
This is very, very simple. If that is not a no-arms tackle, then show me (not you!) evidence of a wrap. The aint any.

This is not a nuisance. We have refs making up imaginary stories on their heads while two tier one teams play each other in front of a packed stadium. And again, this is not rocket science. You see the image, either you see evidence of a wrap, or you dont. In order to say this is NOT a no-arms tackle you need to see evidence of a wrap. This is elementary logic most 10 year old's can grasp. For some reason the ref couldn't. I'd like him to be held accountable. Not going to happen, and that's a tragedy.

 

[ChicagoKid]

It's a ridiculous amount.

Europeans are going to get very frustrated about RWC31 prices then.

Although, it looks like Australia is going to charge a hefty sum for tickets too.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Europeans are going to get very frustrated about RWC31 prices then.

Although, it looks like Australia is going to charge a hefty sum for tickets too.

If you can afford to fly over there and all the costs after that then I think a couple of hundred bucks on a ticket is the least of your worries. Everything is expensive these days though so god knows what it'll be like in 2031

 

[ChicagoKid]

If you can afford to fly over there and all the costs after that then I think a couple of hundred bucks on a ticket is the least of your worries. Everything is expensive these days though so god knows what it'll be like in 2031

Agreed. My wife wanted $500 last night for a quick tug. That was only $200 before COVID.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

FWIW, I don't think high ticket prices are a scourge like some. We've got a good thing going in Irish rugby and internationals are it's main source of income. Provincial rugby is very affordable to follow. Internationals are more of a day out, I won't be back until next autumn at the earliest while prioritising other things in life.

Just when you pay the premium to watch a match take 2hrs and 10mins from start to finish with very very little ball in play time was disappointing.

Ireland are partly at fault for allowing themselves be bullied but Carley is stealing a living at this level of the game, killed any chance of having any flow to that game early doors.

 

[Jimbo]

As @Leonormous Boozer says it’s perspective and how high up on your priority list it comes as well as relative to income, like I could venture to Twickenham occasionally but when you go through lord knows how much on running shoes and that’s your main Hobby it becomes unjustifiable and a non priority.

 

[Welsh Exile]

As @Leonormous Boozer says it's perspective and how high up on your priority list it comes as well as relative to income, like I could venture to Twickenham occasionally but when you go through lord knows how much on running shoes and that's your main Hobby it becomes unjustifiable and a non priority.

My decisions tend be based on what option leaves me with more money to buy alcohol.

 

[Jimbo]

My decisions tend be based on what option leaves me with more money to buy alcohol.

Haha that would have been me not so long ago, have to say though since I started running I don’t consume half as much, with that said I will go out on a session like I did England vs ABs 15s in Bath early this month and England women against Australia, day to day though I don’t drink half what I did, I do have a cold currently so my have a few cheeky JDs shortly, not what I’d usually buy but was gifted a few weeks ago, sure you’d agree these things can’t be wasted.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ok, help me out. Given what has happened in the past weeks, why do you think that should have been a yellow and not a red?
Always illegal (so no mitigations), but even if it was, there want a significant drop, no attempt to wrap whatsoever, hits the head, with force. I am literally lost for words. And again, i dont think this would have changed the outcome, but i cannot understand how a ref can look at that play on the big screen and claim he is not convinced that was a no-arms tackle.

And some people are praising his performance. What the actual ****?

Was explained. Sasha didn't come from distance, had mitigation in player dropping and an additional tackler. That was explanation given. But most refs experienced seem to think it was a yellow. Ryan's was worst as he came from distance at a stationary target.

Carley isn't being praised. He could have used more cop on but his cards to Ireland were correct per laws