Ireland's tale of Rugby World Cup quarter final woes ahead of New Zealand clash
Come Sunday morning, and one of the heavyweight contenders for the 2023 Rugby World Cup will be heading home.
In a repeat of the 2019 quarter-final clash in Japan, Ireland will take on New Zealand with an 8pm kick off in Paris. This time around though, it's not the All Blacks who go in as favourites, with the match signifying a huge opportunity for Johnny Sexton and co to overturn their 46-14 hammering of four years ago.
However, a dark cloud hangs over the world's officially ranked No.1 side, despite their previous impressive wins out in France over South Africa and Scotland. In stark contrast to their southern hemisphere opponents, Ireland are yet to win a knock-out game at rugby's biggest global bonanza since the inaugural tournament back in 1987.
Mirror Sport looks at why Irish eyes have been crying for 36 years....
1987 - Aussies in cruise control
Unlike so much of the heartbreak that has since accompanied Ireland's World Cup ventures, there was little unexpected about their maiden quarter-final defeat.
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Pitted against a much fancied Australia, in Sydney of all places, the game rarely delved away from the script as the hosts sauntered home 33-15. Irish tries from Lee Reynolds and Michael Kiernan were little more than a consolation for a side that whose group stage defeat to Wales, confining them to a runners-up spot, had scuppered any hopes of a winnable last-eight tie.
1991 - Lynagh ruins the Landsdowne Road party
If the 1987 loss to Australia was expected, than what transpired in Dublin four years later still has old school Irish fans staring misty eyed into their Guinness.
Ireland led Australia in the dying seconds at the 1991 World Cup (PA)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Ireland beat New Zealand? Comment below.
When flanker David Hamilton stormed over in the corner late on, and Ralph Keyes converted, the noise at Landsdowne Road would have raised the roof - had the rickety old stadium had one. With Ireland leading 18-15, a semi final berth was seconds away and one of the great rugby shocks was on the cards.
There was still time however, for one last fatal Wallaby attack. Awarded a penalty, Michael Lynagh turned down the three points to level matters and caught a nation off guard with a quick tap. In the frenzy that followed, the iconic No.10 himself took the scoring pass from David Campese to touch down and ruin the impending riot.
Australia would go on to win the World Cup while Ireland still await a first ever tournament semi-final. No exaggeration to say Lynagh's great gamble changed the course of history.
1995 - The formidable France turns up
If 1991 has been rued ever since, the 1995 quarter-final exit barely registers with rugby fanatics in green.
A rank ordinary Irish side and already been trounced by a Jonah Lomu inspired New Zealand in the group stages, before sneaking through their final group game, beating Wales 24-23 - in a battle over who could be the least mediocre. A subsequent knockout tie against France in Durban wasn't expected to yield much.
But of course, you never know which France is going to turn up. On this occasion, a decent version did, and Eric Elwood's four penalties brought slight respectability to an otherwise convincing 36-12 defeat.
It's been a familiar tale in Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the Irish (Getty Images)1999 - 'Speedy' Gonzalo leaves Ireland lagging
Wasn't quite a last eight game this one, but a knockout match nonetheless with organisers introducing a 'quarter-final play off' for two sides who could not progress by right.
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It pitted a much fancied Ireland against an Argentinian side who had been heavily reliant on the boot of No 10 Gonzalo Quesada, ironically dubbed 'Speedy Gonzalo' in jest, given the prolonged time taken over his kicks at goal. And that night in Lens, he exerted a slow death on Keith Wood and co in a clash that hasn't appeared on many highlight reels since.
He landed seven penalties, and although opposite number David Humphries bettered that with 24 points of his own, a Diego Albanese try proved critical as the Pumas prevailed 28-24. The narrative was building....
2003 - A futile late fightback
As opposed to eight years previously, a Brian O'Driscoll-inspired Ireland rocked up to play France in Melbourne for what was billed as a 50/50 quarter-final.
Indeed, this was an Irish side that had beaten Les Bleus in the Six Nations that season and laced with fresh emerging talent, not least 'BOD' himself. But in reality, they capitulated in the face of expectation, trailing 35-0 after only 47 minutes and while three late tries indicated a competitive scoreline - the game itself was anything but.
Mike Phillips scores in the corner for Wales in the 2011 quarter-final (AFP via Getty Images)2011 - Phillips blindsides Ireland
Having failed to make it out of the groups in 2007 - four years later Ireland's epic win over Australia seemingly blew the World Cup draw wide open, and in their favour too.
A quarter-final tie against an inexperienced Wales side in Wellington seemingly represented a golden chance to break the hoodoo, with some fans dreaming beyond that, given an underwhelming France lay in wait for the winners. And yet, Ireland were largely outplayed by their Celtic counterparts, a Mike Phillips try down the blindside a key moment in a 22-10 Welsh win.
A dejected Irish team leave the field after the match against Argentina in Cardiff (Corbis via Getty Images)2015 - Argies barge Ireland out again
Despite winning their group comfortably in 2015, history weighed heavily as Ireland prepared for a quarter-final with old adversaries Argentina in Cardiff.
The fear wasn't misplaced, and an imposing and physical Irish side were simply overran by the enterprise of the Pumas. A 43-20 defeat was anything but misleading, and the notion the side had again fallen flat when it was do or die at a World Cup was unavoidable.
2019 - Jolted by Japan
Ok, so the 19-12 group defeat to hosts Japan wasn't the actual death knell for Ireland in this tournament, but it may have well have been.
It meant a runners-up finish and a quarter final with 2011 and 2015 winners New Zealand, and there was no doubting who were the rank outsiders. The tag proved justified, as the All Blacks won 46-14 in fourth gear, and Joe Schmidt left his coaching role admitting his side had got their preparations all wrong.
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