Franks psyches himself up for Irish rematch
Come Thursday, Owen Franks will light the fuse and it might pay to steer clear of him.
The All Blacks tighthead prop, who says he isn’t seeking revenge against Ireland after they lost to them 40-29 in Chicago on November 6, likes to spend several days getting psyched for a big rugby match.
Given he has played 88 tests since 2009, and collected two World Cup winners’ medals, you could say he has had plenty of time to get his routine sorted.
On the Thursday he begins his mental preparation, peaking ahead of kickoff. He puts it this way: ‘‘By the time Saturday comes around you are in your own little world, and you don’t really get out of it until the game is finished.’’
Given the All Blacks don’t want to suffer consecutive defeats to Ireland, it’s an attitude coach Steve Hansen might want from all players.
But it doesn’t always work like that. Some men like to stay loose until the day of the game, believing it can be detrimental to waste all that nervous energy.
Not Franks, who seeks the company of like-minded individuals so he isn’t distracted by anyone who tries to lighten the mood with jokes or by chatting too much.
‘‘Everyone is in the same boat, going through the same nervousness, anxiety of excitement or whatever,’’ he says. ‘‘So you gravitate towards those people. ‘‘You are in that zone, so it can be challenging. And when you are playing at home, your wife knows what time of the day to leave you alone and you probably switch up from that.’’
This, remember, is a man who former Crusaders team-mate Andy Ellis once spotted drawing crosshairs on the photo of an opponent in a match programme.
This week Franks was asked if the All Blacks were seeking revenge for that loss in Chicago. He doesn’t view it like that.
‘‘I wouldn’t say revenge. Any time you don’t perform your best, I guess, but your best effort out there it is more about yourself. It wasn’t Ireland’s fault that we played badly.’’
Given his experience, he is the second most capped forward in the squad behind captain Kieran Read, you might say there is a case for Franks to be included in the team’s leadership group.
He isn’t, and says he doesn’t mind not being invited into that select group.
‘‘I guess I lead in my own little way in the scrummaging area, and if I see something I will speak up.’’
In the buildup to this test, Dublin is going to be heaving with Irishmen willing their team to succeed where they failed in 2013.
That defeat, when Aaron Cruden converted Ryan Crotty’s try in extra time to give the All Blacks a 24-22 win, signalled Ireland have a clever and analytical coach in Joe Schmidt.
The result in Chicago confirmed they were right to convince him to sign through to the 2019 World Cup.
‘‘I guess they have got the monkey off their back and, for me, the ultimate would be able to back it up,’’ Franks noted. ‘‘That’s the sign of a really good team.’’