"I started a joke, that started the whole world ......" | Ireland v New Zealand.

I suspect the following question from, in truth, a non rugby person (but big sports fan generally) will annoy some, but is there not a smidgen of truth in the often put argument that test matches are, ultimately, more akin to friendlies and simply can't have the same intensity as knock out matches? I know both teams take tests very seriously but when there is, ultimately, no silverware at stake, its difficult for me to understand how that is comparable to a match like last night. Seems to me that World Rubgy needs more than 1 knock out competition every 4 years (and I know the world calendar is presently being reviewed). The 6 nations is great and all, but its the same six teams being played in a two year rota, every single season....

There are 4 or 5 Irish out halves who would have been better than Johnny in the last 30 minutes last night. He had a poor game yesterday. I thought it was a real tell that BB went for a drop goal, a few years ago it didn’t occur to him and he wasn’t prepared for it but yesterday the ABs played classic knockout rugby. On another day they go to the corners w those early penalties but against Ireland they understood that getting in front was half the battle won.

JS has been a mighty player for us but the argument many of us made a couple of years ago still stands. The fact that no one else is better doesn’t change the fact that he likely wouldn’t make it through a brutal wc campaign and sure enough by 55 minutes last night his legs were gone but Crowley didn’t have the confidence of the coaches, even though he might well be good enough if he’d had the investment. Without being disrespectful, this became the Johnny sexton show rather than the World Cup show. It’s not a poor reflection on sexton, he’s a stone cold pro who was selected and proved his value, but the selectors should have known this was a likely scenario.

100% correct

All that and still an underachiever with a terrible attitude problem.

This was our big chance ! We got a **** draw , played not great and ran it to the wire against nz. We win that. We beat Argentina and its a coinflip again in the final...

Can't see us having such a good chance again...

😀😀😀 wow how far off the mark are people going to get.

Excuses for what? What does he owe you? He has no responsibility to you

I’d have the same attitude going into a game with them tomorrow. That we would be well capable of beating them.

A bounce of a ball in it again probably.

When did i say he owed me something. I know the love in of all things sexton is strong in these parts, but some people seem to think he is flawless when he clearly isnt.

He had a bad game yesterday and should have been taken off. His attitude effects his performance in positive and negative ways unfortunately but some people cant see that.

You called him an underachiever. That’s bollixs no matter how much you try to qualify it