Ulster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

RUGBYWORLDCUP ULSTERMEN INJAPAN

© GETTY IMAGES

35-0. Samoa were Ireland’s final Pool stage opponents and were swept aside by a clinical Irish side who were 45-7 winners and qualified for the quarter-finals by securing second place in the Pool. Rory Best also scored his second try of this World Cup campaign. On Saturday 19th October, Ireland faced their toughest challenge yet against the current World Cup holders, New Zealand as they aimed to win their first knock- out World Cup game. This unfortunately proved to be Rory’s last professional game of rugby as the All Blacks were just too strong for the men in green; in a dominant display of power and speed, New Zealand powered through to the semi-final, winning 46-14. It wasn’t the final game Rory Best would have wanted, but it signed off an incredible Ulster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions career, which will hold long in the memory for Rory and fans alike.

World Cup fever has taken hold as Japan host the competition for the first time. Ulster’s Rory Best, Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale were selected for the initial squad, while Jordi Murphy and Rob Herring were called up later in the pool stages. After a mixed set of warm-up games, beating Italy and Wales but losing to England, Ireland were still favourites to top Pool A going into the World Cup. The first Pool game was against Six Nations rivals, Scotland, and Ireland put in an impressive performance with a 27-3 win and Rory Best being one of their four try-scorers. Up next were the hosts, Japan, who had a resurgent period of late, and their quick offloading game proved too much for Ireland, defeating the men in green by 19-12. The penultimate Pool game came against Russia, and Ireland – as were expected - emerged victorious, winning

39

ulsterrugby.com