“I think this is the last piece of the jigsaw.”
New Zealand beat Ireland in yet another World Cup quarter final, and it’s hard not to look back on Shane Horgan’s pre-match comments and feel like it jinxed them.
The game itself was incredible as the All Blacks got off to a brilliant start, going 13 points clear early, but in typical fighting Irish spirit, they pulled it back with a brilliant attacking display, spearheaded by Bundee Aki.
As the teams went in at half time, with Ireland just trailing by one point, nobody was thinking about Horgan’s buoyant comments on Virgin Media before the game.
“There is so much riding on this game. And if you want to think that there’s even more riding on this game, I think if they win this game, they win the World Cup.
“That’s how big this game is.”
When asked to expand on his comments, which are almost too painful to read now in the aftermath of such a heartbreaking defeat, Horgan explained his thought process.
“I think this is the last piece of the jigsaw. They have hit all of the milestones. We spoke about it before, we spoke about it last week, they have won the series in New Zealand, and they beat New Zealand in Chicago, so they have got that monkey off their back.
“They have beaten all of the Southern Hemisphere teams in the Autumn, they have won a Grand Slam, they have got through the pools. this is what they need to do now – deliver in a quarter final against a team that has a history like no other.
“And if we see Ireland do that, well the confidence that will buy, will mean that those doubts that are lingering, and maybe they only live in the back of our minds, maybe there gone already and we’ll find out now – but if there are any lingering, they will be gone after that.”
It’s not like he was wrong of course, if Ireland could finally break that quarter final hoodoo, and beat a team of the All Black’s stature in the process, then confidence would have been soaring high.
However, New Zealand came out like men possessed in the second half, extending their lead early on, and although a late comeback from the Irish was sparked, they just couldn’t get over the line in the end.
Related links:
- Ireland vs. New Zealand: All the biggest moments, talking points and player ratings
- Mike Catt offers three unlikely names if Ireland quarter final goes to penalties decider
- 10 Irish players make Ireland-New Zealand combined XV from Kiwi media
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