WORLD AT OUR FEEK
Ireland planning big for 2019...and Greg admits Kiwis are taking notice
IT’S when Greg Feek goes home that he realises how far Ireland have come.
Once upon a time the only player in green that would have been feared – or even known – in New Zealand was a certain Brian O’driscoll.
Now, with the All Blacks following Argentina to the Aviva, the Kiwi scrum coach who has been instrumental to Ireland’s success under Joe Schmidt is asked about a whole heap of players when he goes back home.
And, in what he regards as the biggest compliment, he even finds himself having to turn down some people who to come into Ireland camp to see how the magic happens.
‘We’ve had rugby league teams in, we’ve had Gaelic teams and other rugby teams,” said Feek.
“We’ve had to deter a couple of guys because they’re maybe a bit close to the opposition and things like that.
“I know Joe gets inundated but it’s probably reflects a little bit of how we’re going.”
Ireland are second in the world rankings with only the All Blacks ahead of them in the pecking order.
And Feek knows that in his homeland there is real interest in the rise of this Ireland team with the World Cup less than a year away.
He said: “My sister works in the media down there and she was saying 10 or 15 years ago Ireland were always the sort of team that could beat somewant body big – they always had the potential. But now that potential has come through and it’s a ‘Watch out’ type of thing.
“There’s definitely a massive shift even to the point where I get asked about the players.
“Ten or 15 years ago they wouldn’t have known too many Irish players. Now they’re constantly asking me if I’m there in New Zealand, ‘What’s he like?’ ‘What does he lift?’ or, ‘What does he do?’.
“People are asking, What’s this players management programme?’ and, ‘Why is this or that so good?’, ‘How do you manage this?’.”