CLASH OF THE TITANS TITANS
Ireland and All Blacks primed for game of the season
THERE is a definite sense of the epic about this one. A showdown between the top two teams in the world that is poised to live up to the hype surrounding it.
And there has been a lot of hype over a long, fascinating week of build-up. Quotes have richoched back and forth between the New Zealand and Ireland camps and it was revealing to see the usual prematch plamás sprinkled with hot sauce as slights, perceived and otherwise, were seized upon and returned with interest.
On that basis, recaps of New Zealand’s thuggery in the sides’ last meeting (the 21-9 victory in Lansdowne Road two years ago) have featured more prominently than recollections of Ireland’s excellence in their historic victory at Soldier Field a couple of weeks previously.
The general Kiwi attitude is that Chicago was an aberration - a one-off victory for Ireland when the underpowered All Blacks lost their focus Stateside - and the rematch in Dublin was a truer reflection of rugby’s pecking order.
The Irish perspective is that New Zealand were permitted to cross the line in a manner that would not be tolerated now.
It adds an extra layer of spice going into this evening’s encounter - a game both sides have targeted from a long way out and one, although there is no major trophy at stake, where the desperation for a win is palpable. How times have changed. It is not that long since New Zealand would roll into town, say nice things about the Irish, swat their hosts aside, offer some more token platitudes and then roll on, almost instantly erasing the match from their memory banks.
Previously, the All Blacks would not have bothered to learn the names of their opponents - this week they are singling them out.
Injured scrum-half Conor Murray, out-half Johnny Sexton and one-time potential All Black Bundee Aki have all been in the firing line, with Ireland coach Joe Schmidt justifiably strident in response to the issue of Aki’s switch of allegiance, referencing the deliberate New Zealand policy of plundering the Pacific Islands for talent.
New Zealand taking the time to have a pop at their opponents is a measure of the respect with which Schmidt’s men are now held - the All Blacks now see Ireland as a genuine threat to their world domination.
Despite assertions in certain quarters that the World Cup can be ‘parked’ for this one, the reality is that Japan 2019 looms large over this encounter.
Having been stunned at home by South Africa and seriously rattled by England, a loss to Ireland would put a large dent in the aura of impregnability the All Blacks traditionally trade off and suggest the three in a row next year is not the fait accompli it looked not so long ago.
Conversely, victory for Ireland would lay down a coat of confidence, on the back of their inexorable rise under Schmidt, towards finally achieving something meaningful at the World Cup and even surpass the IRFU’s stated objective of reaching a first semi-final. So, can Ireland win tonight? Unquestionably, but a few things need to fall into place. They will need to put pressure on the All Blacks the way England did so successfully last week and make it count, they will need referee Wayne Barnes to crack down on New Zealand physicality in a manner Jaco Peyper failed dismally to do two years ago and they will need to produce a near perfect performance themselves - certainly one several levels up from the unconvincing display against Argentina last weekend.
That means better restarts, better lineouts, better ruck ball and far better performances from the likes of Ireland captain Rory Best and No8 CJ Stander, two central figures whose influence against the Pumas was far off where it needed to be.
The scrum was excellent last weekend and it is safe to expect the Devin Toner-driven lineout will go well, while Rob Kearney’s return to the No15 jersey shores up the back.
At the breakdown, the loss of Dan Leavy is a big blow after his ferocious impact off the bench last week but Josh van der Flier is a world-class openside who played superbly in the two Tests against New Zealand in 2016.
Sexton will raise his game this week but he is definitely missing Murray in terms of sharing the playmaking workload and, while Kieran Marmion is a more than decent replacement, you wonder are Ireland missing a trick by overlooking John Cooney who is so used to running the show for Ulster.
One critical factor in Ireland’s favour is that they did not show their full hand against the Pumas and in a gladiatorial Lansdowne Road, Schmidt will give the All Blacks something they have not seen before.
Plenty of positives, then, certainly enough to gain victory in most circumstances but you still get the sense that, no matter how good Ireland are, New Zealand may just have the edge.
It is a team packed with quality experience - averaging a whopping 46 caps a man and featuring no less than three centurions and another four players with 70 caps or more.
And, when you go through it player for player, the All Blacks just look to have that little bit more, with their youngest star, wing Rieko Ioane the most dangerous player on the pitch.
Ireland will show up and do damage (Schmidt’s bench is laced with impact) but may have to give way in what should be mesmerising match.
Defeat will not scupper Ireland’s World Cup ambitions and a powerful performance would keep them on course because this an elite contest against opponents of a quality they are not likely to face again unless they reach the final in Japan.
That is the bigger picture, the immediate one sees New Zealand carrying the quality, experience and motivation to scrape home in what could be the game of the year.