Hansen’s goading masks fears that Kiwis are not quite firing
IT’S been ramping up nicely as we all knew it probably would.
After just about downing England, the All Blacks now face the big one — the team closest to their number one slot in the World Rugby rankings and, as things stand now, the most discernible threat to them securing a third straight World Cup in less than a year’s time.
So, are they feeling a bit rattled? Well, New Zealand don’t exactly subscribe much to being on the back-foot but some of their pre-Test offerings have maybe hinted at genuinely felt concern floating around Steve Hansen’s camp.
After all, the one Kiwi exile they fear more than Warren Gatland – viciously ridiculed by the New Zealand media in 2017 before his British and Irish Lions tied the series – is none other than Joe Schmidt who masterminded Ireland’s Chicago glory two years ago.
On Sunday, we had Hansen telling everyone that he reckoned Conor Murray had to be playing, and would if he was a Kiwi, though probably knowing all along that the scrum-half wouldn’t be featuring and therefore made all the noise just to draw a response.
And Ireland did, by ruling Murray out the next day.
And then the Kiwi assistant coach Ian Foster threw out there that Johnny Sexton likes to often offer advice to essentially try and shape referees’ decision-making as if such a thing would never be done by a player wearing black.
All this before we come to Bundee Aki, though in fairness to the All Blacks the somewhat overdone negative comment on the Kiwi’s switch to Ireland was to be found featuring heavily in the New Zealand media’s output ahead of one of the most eagerly awaited Tests to played between the two sides.
Then Hansen was at it again, providing soundbites on Thursday regarding Schmidt’s trickery.
All part and parcel of the prematch ritual, but, even so, these All Blacks do look vulnerable.
They are still the world’s best team and odds-on to keep their hands on the Webb Ellis Cup, but New Zealand have been got at and turned over not only by the Lions but more recently at the hands of South Africa, while England ought to have beaten them last weekend.
As usual, it hinges on Beauden Barrett setting the tone in a mouth-watering head-to-head with Sexton while Aaron Smith will look to cause mayhem from scrum-half.
You can expect Ryan Crotty’s duel with Aki to be tasty too but, crucially, the Kiwi pack have to live with Ireland and allow Barrett dictate and deploy the finishing of Damian McKenzie and Rieko Ioane.
It all looks finely poised so expect a shuddering collision.