https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2023/10/26/rugby-world-cup-final-week-failing-to-build-expectation-with-hosts-and-zombie-nation-missing/
Lack of French involvement leaves this weekend’s final relegated to page 22 of the local press
Epic lolz at the butthurt Gerry Thornley here
Northern hemisphere sport journo sad face? /edit that’s a bit uncharitable. Of course there is less buzz given the location. Both are great teams, personally a bit sad the french couldn’t get a bit further in their home tourney.
Where's the humbleness though? Or recognition of other great teams? Or the acceptance of the style of rugby that wins is big defense and slow balls? It was all whinge. It makes Irish rugby as a whole look arrogant
Irish sports media are very guilty of everything that my NZ sports media have (rightly) been accused of over the years. Perhaps worse because they seem to have adopted a bit of a savior complex, whereas NZ's arrogance was more that dominance is just the natural order of things.
Didn't click, but just the headline is not wrong. As someone from a T2 nation, the matchup we are getting AGAIN is just about the least interesting one we could have realistically gotten for those of us not from SA or NZ
Here in Australia you would be forgiven for not even knowing the World Cup was on. It’s insane how little there has been about it.
Or you know a recognition that we're getting the same teams winning it.
No one is taking anything away from the achievements of SA or NZ, but having 2 teams that have won 3 each isn't exactly an exciting prospect for the final. Especially since we knew this would be the match up after the quarters
Semis weren't duds though. England scared SA and set the narative for Saturday. And quarters were so exciting! More fool anyone predicting this weekend. I cannot wait!
England gave SA a scare but in the end the expected team won. And the NZ v Argentina was certainly a dud.
Yeah, the quarters were exciting but you'd hope that the excited would build to the final. Not go down and then back up.
If the Ireland v NZ and the France v SS games were the semi-final match ups, even with the same outcome, the narrative for the final would be different