We expect to win every game, insists Stockdale
A FEW hours before Ireland defeated the Springboks with 14 men in Cape Town in the summer of 2016, Jacob Stockdale was playing on a greasy pitch almost 8,000 miles away at the Academy Stadium in Manchester. It proved to be a historic day on both sides of the equator as Stockdale and a talented Ireland U20 side defeated New Zealand for the first time at that age grade. Stockdale played full-back that day and, along with team-mates Andrew Porter and James Ryan, would graduate to senior honours within 12 months of that famous win. The Ulster wing is now an established member of the senior side with a Grand Slam and a series win in Australia under his belt. Not bad for a 22-year-old who is set to win his 14th cap against the All Blacks on Saturday, and he is part of the new generation accustomed to a winning habit. ‘I think we’ve got to the point now where we go into games expecting to win,’ he said. ‘I mean, I’ve lost one game since I’ve been playing for Ireland and that was the first Test in Australia so you look at that and for me, in this team, I’ve never not achieved something that we’ve set out to do. ‘Like, my first Six Nations we won a Grand Slam. My first summer tour, we won it, the second summer tour we won a series against Australia and it’s kind of what you expect now. So, yeah, the confidence levels are sky high at the moment.’ Ireland have secured one victory in 30 attempts against New Zealand spanning 111 years but Stockdale, who has scored 11 tries in 13 Tests, insists Joe Schmidt’s current squad are not weighed down by history. ‘Where we’ve come in Irish rugby, we have changed, the team has changed to the point where we’re one of the biggest teams in the world. ‘We’re right up there mixing it with the very best and I think that’s not only testament to Joe but to the coaching staff around him and the squad. ‘I think there is a different mentality. It’s not a, “we’d be lucky to beat these guys”, it’s “we are just as good as these lads and we compete with them at the very highest level”.’