Irish now seem All Blacks’ biggest threat, not Eddie’s army
OPINION: Newsflash Kiwi rugby fans: Turns out we might have been looking over our shoulders at the wrong threat.
It is now, surely, Joe Schmidt’s Ireland, not Eddie Jones’ faltering England, who present the biggest danger for the All Blacks on their annual jaunt north in November, and the men in green who look the best chance to have a decent tilt at knocking the All Blacks off the lofty pedestal they have occupied for so long.
For a while now, while the voluble Jones has been righting the good ship England after the 2015 World Cup debacle – chalking up those 17 straight test victories, then going on to a record of 24 wins from his first 25 internationals – it has been a match-up with Twickenham’s finest that has captivated New Zealand rugby fans as a quasi best-in-the-world clash of the hemispheres.
Well, more fools us. It’s not November 10’s match against England at Twickenham that will seemingly offer the biggest steer pre-2019 World Cup regarding the global balance of power, but the one in Dublin a week later when Schmidt’s Six Nations champions will attempt to prove their Chicago 2016 ambush of the All Blacks was no fluke.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Ireland have now won 11 tests on the bounce, and 13 of their last 14. They just clinched a third Six Nations title in five years by defeating Scotland at Lansdowne Road, and this weekend head to Twickenham for a mouthwatering matchup against England, in which they will chase just the third Grand Slam in their history.
England, on the other hand, have now lost consecutive tests for the first time under Jones, following their Murrayfield misstep with a Stade de France slipup, and face the realistic prospect of the whole house of cards coming tumbling in should that streak hit three this weekend.
From a New Zealand perspective there are two main interest points for early Sunday’s (NZT) Twickenham showdown.
First and foremost it should be a brilliant rugby spectacle, showcasing the best elements of the northern hemisphere game, which looks as strong as it has been in a long, long time.
Ireland have now leapfrogged England to second on the world rankings (highest they’ve been since August 2015), with Eddie Jones’ men sitting one spot behind them. So it’s No 2 v No 3 on the planet in a clash with bragging rights, Anglo-Celtic rivalry, a Grand Slam and English pride all very much on the line.
Let’s not forget that England at Twickenham are a decidedly tougher prospect than on the road. They are 14-0 at their home fortress under Jones, and will be desperate to keep that streak going this weekend.
Ireland, on the other hand, have yet to really prove themselves as a force away from their own home citadel. Of those 11 straight wins, only four of them have been on the road, with three of those against the combined might of the USA and Japan.
And since their November 2016 home defeat to the All Blacks, they have lost just two of 16 matches. But both of those (Scotland and Wales) have been on the road.
Then there’s the purely New Zealand angle. Do either of these teams have what it takes to roll the All Blacks in November?
A match of this stature, stakes, pressure and interest should provide a pretty good pointer.
Regardless of what happens, it’s hard not to think that the November 17 clash in Dublin will be the biggest test of the All Blacks’ tour, and maybe of their year.
Of course the Twickenham showdown a week earlier will be heavily hyped by the British media and Jones alike, and will have its challenges on the back of the November 3 test against Japan, and the travel factor that week.
But don’t be surprised to see Steve Hansen dispatching most of his big guns to London early and running a decidedly second-string outfit against the Japanese.
That would have his likely starters well settled and prepared in London, and over the jet-lag by the time November 10 rolls around.
But turning round and backing up against Ireland a week after what is sure to be a hugely physical test at Twickenham will present some major challenges, akin to playing the business end of the World Cup.
That fortnight might well give us the biggest steer yet on the All Blacks’ prospects of a third straight Webb Ellis Cup. And let’s not forget, the Irish love nothing more than a good old All Black ambush.