With the kick-off time set for 9pm local (8pm Irish) and a massive Irish crowd expected, the atmosphere will be electric as Andy Farrell’s Irish team aims to surpass any previous Irish team. It’s a historic moment, and although most experts anticipate a close match between these two rivals, with Ireland having won three out of their last four encounters, all of which were not knock-out games, the possibility of a draw cannot be ignored. The Munster fans who endured the agonizing penalty kicks defeat against Toulouse two seasons ago are well aware of what might unfold.
But what happens if the teams are tied after 80 minutes? First, there will be a five-minute break for recuperation, followed by 20 minutes of extra time divided into two 10-minute halves, with a five-minute half-time interval. It’s mandatory for teams to stay on the field throughout, and the referee will perform a coin toss before kick-off to determine kick-off and play direction.
If the teams are still level after 100 minutes, there will be another five-minute break before a 10-minute sudden death period. Teams swap ends, and the team that kicked off in extra time will also kick off in the sudden death period. The first team to score points will be declared the winner and advances to the semi-final.
If there is still no winner at the end of sudden death, penalties will be the next step. Four match balls will be presented to the teams, and the organizers will decide which end of the stadium they’ll kick into. All players and officials must remain within the playing enclosure. The referee will toss a coin to determine who goes first. Only players who were on the pitch at the end of the game are eligible to take penalties, and the captain must nominate five players to take penalties and specify the order in which they will kick.
The kicks will be taken from three positions: Position 1 in front of the posts, Position 2 on the left-hand side of the posts on the 15m line, and Position 3 on the right-hand side of the posts on the 15m line. Kicker 1 starts with Position 1, followed by Kicker 2 on Position 2, Kicker 3 on Position 3, Kicker 4 reverts to Position 1, and Kicker 5 kicks from Position 2. If the scores remain level after five kicks, the competition continues on a sudden death basis with the same order of kickers and positions.
Players have one minute to take their kicks once they receive the ball from the referee. If a player sustains an injury during the penalty competition, they may be replaced by another player from the team that finished the game on the pitch.
While it’s unlikely that Ireland and New Zealand will reach this stage of penalties, both teams must be prepared for any scenario. Ireland’s attack coach, Mike Catt, has mentioned that Ireland has a plan for penalties and the players are aware of their roles. Their hope is that those designated players, including Andrew Porter, Tadhg Beirne, and Dan Sheehan, will put the ball through the middle with confidence.
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