Neil Francis:
‘All-Blacks are the most cynical team in rugby’
APPARENTLY we have a rivalry with New Zealand on the rugby field. The Hype-meisters and marketing people have done it again. I have to confess to an undying sense of admiration for the way these people track reason. One win in a hundred years and we have a rivalry.
We celebrate Chicago and yet we choose to merrily forego what happened a fortnight later. If you want to knock the top dog off his perch, you have got to change the way you think.
One hundred years of New Zealand hegemony based on a callous spirit and a ruthless streak that as Irishmen just is not in us. It is the founding principle of New Zealand All Black rugby – ‘What are you prepared to do to win?’
In looking forward to this Saturday, Ireland should look not at how we won in Chicago but how they lost in Dublin – that match is the true litmus test.
When New Zealand came to Dublin in 2016, the fog of self-doubt in Chicago had evaporated. They were like a pack of lions hunting prey. When you go for the throat it is an instinctive thing. Killing is instinctive, a survivalist mechanism. They never once questioned what they were about to do.
Maybe we need reminding. Ireland scored five tries in Chicago, but when it came down to it they were held try-less in Dublin – a remarkable turnaround. The product of much reflection and thought within the All Black ranks.
It was, though, a base and dark performance. New Zealand’s continued success is based on the fact that they play on the edge, more so than any other side in the world.
Clarity
In that match in Dublin there was clarity of vision, a directness, a ruthless application which left you in no doubt about the champions’ character – ‘What are you prepared to do to win?’
The All Blacks have a hidden gear where sport comes second and winning comes first. The only licence they needed that day was a weak referee. There were 12 incidences that day which were potentially worthy of citing – Ireland picked up one of them. It told you New Zealand were happy to play outside the law if it meant that they would win. The tackles by Sam Cane on Robbie Henshaw and Malakai Fekitoa on Simon Zebo were a testament to New Zealand’s attitude to win.
We are here to play Ireland but we will play with an unacceptable level of violence which will be enough to see the Paddies off. Ireland picked up three concussions that day and I suspect anyone in green who played at the Aviva would not have played in a match of such corporeal intensity since. New Zealand play on the edge.
Keeping Ireland try-less at the Aviva takes some doing. The All Blacks have a degree in cynicism which comes to the fore in their red zone. During the fifth round of matches in the rugby Cham- pionship, the All Blacks built up a lead against Argentina in Buenos Aires and looked to be cruising until those pesky Argies staged a mini revival. At one stage they were camped on the New Zealand line. I didn’t have any skin in the game but I do insist on fair play. I found myself shouting out six separate infringements in the space of 30 seconds on the All Black line.
It is as if New Zealand are allowed to do what they like on their own line. They are the most cynical side in rugby union. I watched Argentina last Saturday and they were a difficult and talented team to try and overcome. You would take 28 points all day long. The Argies are no angels and they have profited from the company that they keep – go to bed with dogs and all that.
On countless occasions Argentina had a man either falling through the ruck or getting up to his feet just as our scrum-half was about to clear. The surreptitious nature of it – ‘pardon me I know I’m in your way but I am just about to get back onside’. It takes two or three seconds out of the delivery – it’s brilliant. Lazy runners are so obvious; sometimes it’s better just to do the slowing down in the ruck. New Zealand patented the man at the back of the opponents’ ruck and Mario Ledesma has encouraged his players to do likewise. A good shoeing used to remedy it – now not even a good referee is clever enough to realise what is going on.
It is one of the key fundamentals of New Zealand’s play: they are alive to all
possibilities inside or outside of the law – it’s first nature to them.
I said last week that if New Zealand happened to be at the Aviva last Saturday instead of Argentina it could have been a 50-pointer – yet the All Blacks looked like flesh and blood last week in Twickenham. They did however show several glimpses of some outrageous dexterity out of the tackle.
We normally call an offload from a tackled play a 50-50 ball. These passages were more 30-70 plays and yet the passes stuck. A dry day and they could open us up if we are not sharp.
It does bring us back to Ireland’s performance last Saturday and whether they can recover themselves. Could we call it a careless performance?
The mistakes, the inaccuracy, the lack of bite in the air or in the chase. What was lacking. You can be damn sure that Joe Schmidt’s players when they walked out last Saturday didn’t have the attitude that they didn’t care less.
They obviously did, but how can you explain that 12 or 13 players played so far below par? A collective malaise must have its genesis in something. The question is can it be fixed in such a short space of time. Finding form can be like turning the Queen Mary.
Last week in the NFL, Baker Mayfield, the quarterback for the lamentable Cleveland Browns, blew the lights out on the Atlanta Falcons.
When asked about his individual performance and his ability to galvanise his team-mates, he said: “When I woke up this morning I was feeling pretty dangerous” and so it proved.
Somnolent
Many Test matches are decided days before kick-off. Today is Thursday. Do Ireland feel dangerous or ready today or will they leave it till Saturday. After their somnolent display in Twickenham, New Zealand will be ready.
Ireland can’t afford even one poor individual performance. And they can’t but be aware of the physical challenge that is coming their way. It will come gift-wrapped in all its ruthless and cynical glory. When they play teams who want to win at all costs, Ireland point to the moral high ground because it is not in us to go to the dark side.
These condescending b ****** s come over here and they wouldn’t even blink about slitting our throats in broad daylight – what do we do? We give them hurleys and ask them to knock a sliotar about. Céad míle fáilte – on and off the pitch!
We have to play these b ****** s on the edge. It’s only a rivalry if we are prepared to do anything to win. A signature performance is required but I fear we do not have enough quality nor are we as a team able to marshal something from depths to outdo a side that is not only here to win but to firmly put us back in our box.