The tactical ploys that could help Ireland reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time
Winning five of the last eight meetings between the sides, including a 2-1 series win in New Zealand last year, certainly helps that narrative.
The Stade de France is silenced as Mark Telea goes over for the first try of the 2023 Rugby World Cup!Per Opta, during the pool stages the All Blacks had the second most red zone entries , most points per entry and the most total points from those entries . In their defeat to France, no points came from possessions that didn’t enter the 22. In other words, like quite a few teams, they don’t build leads via longer-range shots at goal.
Ireland can stop this by holding on to the ball. Of the eight remaining teams, the All Blacks made the fewest amount of tackles per match . They’ve had it their own way, being able to build attack after attack without being tested defensively. Josh van der Flier is hit hard in a tackle by South African defenders. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
On the scoreboard, Ireland were successful in keeping out a wide attack during last week’s victory. On the ground, Irish defenders were able to come up and pressure the ball carrier while also showing athleticism when moving sideways quickly, jockeying out wide to cover Scotland’s threat., however just 46% of those metres were over the gainline - only Tonga have recorded a lower such rate in a match this year. Profligate.
In the tournament-opening defeat to France, New Zealand’s accuracy in the defensive maul was poor. On three occasions, attempts to haul the drive to ground as soon as it started saw Kiwi players hit the deck, leading to an understaffed counter-shove and easy yards made by France. Ireland’s set-piece should exploit this weakness.
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