WAYNE WON’T LET US DOWN

IRELAND boss Joe Schmidt is confident ref Wayne Barnes will sort things out if his prediction of a spiky game comes to pass.

The world champions were accused of deliberate headhunting in the aftermath of the testy 21-9 win two years ago, which avenged the one defeat to Ireland in their history a fortnight earlier.

Both Malakai Fekitoa, who was sin-binned by referee Jaco Peyper

(above), and Sam

Cane were cited for high challenges, with

Fekitoa subsequently banned for a match.

It became pretty clear yesterday that Ireland have not forgotten – or forgiven – New Zealand those excesses ahead of tomorrow’s clash.

“At that stage, we’d just had a pretty clear diktat that player safety was paramount. We felt, in that game, more could have been done to make sure it was delivered,” said Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.

“We said nothing about it because we got beaten fair and square on the day and the last thing you’re going to do is come out and question things. You have to give respect to the team that has got the better of you.

“But, in the context of what we had been told, it was not in line with that. We’d had a few guys who got knocked about in that game.

“I know the feedback we got was there were some that were unnecessary.”

But the Ireland coach believes Englishman Barnes (inset) is just the official to keep a lid on proceedings.

“If it is spiky, it’s something that Barnesy is well able to cope with,” said Schmidt. “He’s one of most experienced refs in international rugby.

“He’s the ideal man to sort it out if something needs to be sorted out but I don’t predict there will be something that needs sorted out. The All Blacks want to play positively, they do play positively. I don’t think they give up too many cards of any colour and we like to think the same but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t get spiky.

“It can be within the rules, spiky and physical. Same as Argentina, spiky and physical but nothing untoward.”