Hansen’s Ireland blarney

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said he ‘‘can’t tell you Irish too much’’ when quizzed about whether he plans to mix and match Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga at the Rugby World Cup.

Hansen, speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, made several references to Ireland being the No 1 team in the world – and World Cup favourites.

He made a point about first five-eighths being the ‘‘main computers of the game’’.

‘‘They drive it. All the good teams have good 10s [first fives].

‘‘Look at all the teams that are coming here thinking they can win it, they have got good 10s and a lot of them have good nines [halfbacks] as well.’’

But when an Irish journalist asked if the All Blacks would be mixing Barrett and Mo’unga at No 10, Hansen became coy.

‘‘I can’t be telling you Irish too much. You are No 1 in the world.

‘‘You should be telling us.

‘‘What do you think? Think it’s a good idea?’’

Hansen also had some fun with the Irish press contingent when discussing potential World Cup winners.

‘‘You blokes are No 1 so you gotta be the favourites,’’ he said, according to a report in The Irish Times.

‘‘Whoever wants to be favourite can be favourite. It has been proven time and time again that is not what wins the World Cup.

‘‘You gotta go earn the right to win it.’’

Hansen is attempting to guide the All Blacks to an unprecedented third successive World Cup following their victories in 2011 and 2015.

He said they would be drawing on pioneering spirit.

‘‘To try and do things that have never been done before is a hallmark of what New Zealand people are about,’’ Hansen said.

‘‘We came away from the home shores and settled in a country at the bottom of the Earth. We had to find ways to live in isolation when life wasn’t like it is today.

‘‘They became pioneers. That is important in life and particularly in sport; you got to strive to be leaders rather than followers.’’

Hansen has been feted by the Japanese media and public since the All Blacks’ arrival in Japan, but he insists the attention does not faze him.

‘‘I’m not a god, I’m a normal bloke,’’ he said in a 1News video.

‘‘They will work that out in a few days, I’m sure.’’

‘‘I’m not a god, I’m a normal bloke. They will work that out in a few days, I’m sure.’’ Steve Hansen on being feted by the Japanese