will the XV of Clover break the curse of the World Cup quarter-final? – Liberation

2023 Rugby World Cup in FrancefileWorld number 1 and favorites of the competition, the “Irish” have never managed to go further than the quarter-finals in the World Cup. This Saturday, October 14, they will have a hard time facing the experienced All Blacks.

Their faces are crestfallen, heads lowered. This October 19, 2019, the Irish left the field of the Tokyo stadium seeing the door to the last four of the World Cup close in front of them. In front of more than 46,000 spectators, the New Zealand All Blacks made short work of the Clover XV in this quarter-final. The defeat is heavy: 46-14. Seven tries for two. So much so that the press around the world is talking about a demonstration. Rory Best, the iconic green hooker with 124 caps, ends his career in a very sad rout…

Four years later, the Irish had the opportunity to take revenge. This Saturday, October 14, the XV du Trèfle once again faces New Zealand at the Stade de France (Saint-Denis) in the quarter-final of the World Cup. A poster that looks like a final between two oval juggernauts. High stakes. “This weekend will be the most important match of my career and it’s the same for the whole team. Passing this milestone would be a great moment, a huge success,” explained, no more, no less, Irish scrum-half Conor Murray on Thursday October 12. This is because the meeting is not just a simple revenge, it is also an opportunity for Ireland to break with a curse.

A plausible victory?

Because although the XV du Trèfle may be one of the best teams on the world circuit, it has never managed to get past the quarter-finals of a World Cup. In nine editions, not counting this one, the Irish have broken their teeth seven times in this stage of the competition. A state of affairs which, however, is not inevitable, the greens and whites want to believe. “All the quarter-finals Ireland have played have been different games, played by different groups of players, so it’s not like we play a World Cup quarter-final every year. It’s a unique match and it is with this in mind that we must prepare,” stressed Irish captain Johnny Sexton at a press conference. To finally pass this level, the men of coach Andy Farrell “worked on [leur] mentally over the last four years,” admits the 38-year-old veteran opener.

This year could well be the good one for the Irish. Unlike 2019, the XV du Trèfle enters the match as favorites. Since July 2, 2022 and a defeat in New Zealand (42-19), the Sexton gang has had 17 consecutive victories, achieved the Grand Slam during the last VI Nations Tournament and climbed to first place in the rankings global. “It’s a great team. The best in the world,” said All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith. Another argument making an Irish victory more than plausible: the “Irish” seem to have found the recipe to beat the XV at La Fougère. In July 2022, in reaction to their defeat, the world numbers 1 managed to win twice (23-12 and 32-22) on New Zealand soil. A feat. “Never before has an Irish team managed to win a match in New Zealand. But a year and a few months is a long time in rugby. It’s a different team that we will face on Saturday. We can’t wait to take on the challenge. It’s clear that this tour will give us confidence, but we shouldn’t see ourselves looking too good either,” tempers Irish second row Tadhg Beirne.

“This series galvanized us”

The July 2022 matches will, in any case, be a source of motivation for the All Blacks on Saturday. “Last year’s results allowed us to learn some lessons, but our team is totally different from that of July 2022. We have a new staff. This series has galvanized us, and we can’t wait for Saturday,” said “NZ” scrum half Aaron Smith to the press. At the Stade de France, Ian Foster’s men will also be keen to show that they remain a great rugby nation. They, whom some underestimated at the start of the competition to the point of deeming a defeat against the weak Italians possible. It has not happened. The All Blacks crushed Squadra Azura 96-17 during the group stage. However, it will be a different story on Saturday.