Known, for its strength, flavour and appearance, the bitter is a distinctive drop.
Many bitters were downed across the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland this last Saturday – cheering the end of the All Blacks’ 118 year-string of victories over Ireland in Ireland.
Ireland’s 16-9 win over the All Blacks showed a side in ascendency, with whispers that they – not New Zealand – are now the favourites for next year’s World Cup.
Joe Schmidt’s team brought a dominant scrum onto the pitch, a variety in the game and an appearance of confidence that did not sway for the full 80 minutes. They were ahead for the entire match and never looked like being seriously challenged. Even in the final stages, with New Zealand mounting an attack, the Irish looked in control.
Against the very best sides in the world like the All Blacks, good coaches will instil a philosophy to keep the match close for a chance to win.
Great coaches will leave nothing to chance and have their sides dominate for a full 80 to secure the win. Steve Hansen has been hammering this home for years and Joe Schmidt, since taking the helm at Ireland, is too.
Related
What makes Ireland’s victory over the All Blacks on Saturday more significant than the Springboks’ win in Wellington is the amount of possession Ireland had.
Electing to rarely kick away possession in the first 40, Ireland were in a position to dictate the pace of the match.
By the time the All Blacks were trotting into the tunnel to face Hansen’s halftime fury, the visitors had clearly logged significantly more running metres than they were accustomed to and tackled way above their first-half percentage averages.
Schmidt’s players knew their coach would not allow them to take their foot off the pedal; another 40 still had to be played. And in the end, the men in green did just that, playing to the edge of exhaustion and securing an historic win.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
The Ireland team never had the dominant scrum any part of the game as the Kiwi guys were saying the Irish front row was doing everything it could to get under those big Kiwi fullas' but it didn't happen ~ that Kiwi front row wasn't the usual lot bar one, Owen Franks, and he didn't get pushed around, rarely does1 You would have noticed of course when the Irish tried the big shove a few times it got ruined each time by the Kiwis!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
The next Coach will be either Hansen or Schmidt, ~ who knows and who cares as it won't make one iota of difference as whoever it may be will have already been vetted and eyeballed from great heights to be sure they got it right! ~What should be noted, is the fact that Rugby is a Religion in New Zealand, always has been! Joe admitted that he got a heap of inside Kiwi stuff through religiously watching the Super Rugby and the Mitre 10 Trophy he then sells it to the Irish! Hence the Kiwi/Irish style!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Gloria! It's called Public Sporting Relations, the All Blacks try and let most teams get a win now and again, ~ they don't let it become a habit, that's the deal!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Grey stuff! The all Blacks taught them for heavens sake and it took a Kiwi Boy to Coach them with a Kiwi boy at second five eight to boot!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
You Poms did like pretty much every other sport being played then the 'great unwashed' around the World pick it up and the good old Poms can never win anything they ever showed them! Still the same, they win nowt'!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
The Irish played the All Blacks pretty much at their own game, style etc, coupled with that god awful rush defence which if executed correctly is very hard to handle but if any team will get over that horrible rugby style the All Blacks will, they are the Masters of inventive and attacking style then every other International side jumps on the band wagon! The win by the Irish the other day was a good win by the Irish, but as everyone says, they played at home and were of course well Coached by a Kiwi we all know well and for heavens sake there was a Kiwi playing for Ireland, he had a good tan and stuck out a bit! ! Take nothing away from the Paddy's they won well with good play and a fair amount of luck, and the All Blacks won't complain, but you can bet that they were a dog tired bunch of Kiwi boys who had played rugby more less non stop for a long, long, period of time and they would have been going for the win for sure but the match in context means zilch, and it may be just the loss they needed! ~ Going by the Rugby Sporting Sites we read, the All Blacks hierarchy are annoyed a tad' not because of the loss, but the simple fact they lost at all! Let's just wait for the World Cup where I'm sure they will go into the thing as Favourites as always, ~ as one of New Zealand's favourite Rugby Sons Nick Evans declares, "the All Blacks are still the Number 1 side in the World and should remain so!
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Taylorman, Ireland just defeated the All Blacks. Your criticism of them sounds hollow and sour.
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Who invented the game?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
O fairness I don’t the Irish were too bad, not compared to England the week before. I wouldn’t want to trust the refs to luck it up as I am sure they have been made aware of it so far and don’t seem to have a focus on it. Best to devise a plan. Whether the line is offside or not when they rush, a rush defence is still flavour-of-the-month is defensive patterns. Best to prepare.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
FB - I think you over think your position - contrary to what you THINK, many Kiwis do understand rugby, to provide an analogy to y our analogy, do not English folk know alot about football, cricket etc...? after all you gave it to the world, therefore by dint of your argument, not many of them know alot of what goes on outside England regarding football and cricket...after all you are all born in England...and who are the No.1 teams in football and cricket??? (I'll let you answer that one!). I for one thought it was a great game of rugby, both Teams were at it, and as the cliche goes, it was a shame one team had to lose, I don't think for a moment the ABs would decry the Irish their win. I enjoyed the intensity of the whole match from both Teams. For me the unknown is....what will Schmidt do next (post RWC2019), I think Hansen wants to retire and what a record he has accumulated in his years with the ABs. Schmidt from what I have heard wants to return home to NZ....I am sure the NZRU/CEO Steve Tew will have had a quiet word with him, I think the IRFU have already accepted he (JS) may/will move on and are planning a replacement (good on them) so NZ Rugby actually doesn't lose - the interesting thing for me is, who will he bring (if anyone) with him? Anyway don't get so baited by pundits/posters who have an opinion that matters only to themselves. Thanks for your input.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
"you don’t need to score a 100 tries, just a lone point over the other team"
Paulo
Roar Rookie
So why did you bring you up tries at all in your post if tries don't mean anything. I'm confused by your contradiction.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
We both know that Terrence, it appears Sage may have thought he was serious.
terrence
Roar Rookie
one more than the ABs..you don't need to score a 100 tries, just a lone point over the other team
terrence
Roar Rookie
he's taking pressure off himself and his team by showering others with praise..it's called mind games..
terrence
Roar Rookie
why don't they?..nothing wrong with that..
adam smith
Guest
No bitterness from me or my whanau. Stoked with the way Ireland played. Better team on the day for sure, & I don’t think the score reflected Ireland’s dominance. Just reward for the players, supporters & administrators & all the hard work they have put in.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
I’m sure you will get over it soon Sage.
Jacko
Guest
Spot on Phantom but I hope Hansen does nothing about it until WC time where he will point it out to refs every chance he gets...Too late for the opposition to learn anything different then
Jacko
Guest
Not sure what his heritage has to do with it otherwise most pakeha NZers would be from the 4 home nations I guess