Schmidt hits back as eligibility dispute deepens
The All Blacks crossed the line in 2016, said Sexton. He also took aim at referee Wayne Barnes, who will officiate this match, saying he had a history of not giving Ireland a fair deal. Some columnists have also questioned whether the All Blacks deliberately seek to maim opponents, a reference to Robbie Henshaw being flattened by Sam Cane and Simon Zebo getting hammered by Malakai Fekitoa in that last encounter.
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt also had a wee lick, warning the All Blacks that if they attempted to outmuscle his team, it would be wise to understand the hosts would not stand around with their thumbs in the elastic of their shorts.
‘‘We’ve got to get out there and give as good as we get, and that’s what will make it a fairly spiky contest this weekend,’’ Schmidt said.
All of this stems from when the All Blacks lost 40-29 to Ireland in and back rows to hold possession for as long as possible to either frustrate them into conceding penalties or create the mismatches that result in their backs slipping past bulky tight forwards.
With gun No 9 Connor Murray unavailable because of injury, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was asked whether his side would aim to ‘‘target’’ halfback Kieran Marmion in a bid to unsettle him.
Hansen was reluctant to deliver a bold headline. He wants his team to light some fires at Aviva Stadium, but in legal fashion.
‘‘We never look to go out to target anybody,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘If you are going to target anybody, you want to target the big boys because they are the guys that lead you around the park.
‘‘If you can put those types of players in the red, then your team struggles more. We will just look to go out and play our own game.’’ Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has entered an eligibility scrap with the All Blacks, strongly defending Kiwi Bundee Aki’s commitment to the green jersey.
He likened the former Counties Manukau and Chiefs star’s move to Ireland to New Zealand’s convenient use of Pacific Islands talent to bolster the All Blacks.
It comes on the back of All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster having a slight dig at Aki this week as they prepare to face another Kiwi transplant after coming up against former Hurricanes star Brad Shields in the England outfit last weekend.
‘‘You have moulded him into an Irish man, he looks like an Irish man now doesn’t he?’’ Foster said. ‘‘There will be a couple of our guys who have probably played with him and know him personally but we are kind of getting used to that.’’
Schmidt, himself a New Zealander who has made a name for himself in Europe, poked back after confirming Aki in the Ireland midfield to take on the All Blacks.
‘‘I think Bundee has fully demonstrated his commitment through the last year,’’ Schmidt said of the 28-year-old Aki who has qualified for Ireland through residency following his move north to join Connacht.
‘‘He made his debut against South Africa last year in this particular section of the year, and in 2016 he won [PRO12] personality of the year.
‘‘That’s the nature of Bundee and his popularity. Because everybody knows he’s going to give 100 per cent.
‘‘It’s like asking was Jerome Kaino 100 per cent ready to play for the All Blacks, because he was born in a foreign country, or Chris Masoe, or Joe Rokocoko, or any of those guys.
‘‘So having coached all those guys, they were very ready to play for the All Blacks. And I know that Bundee Aki is very ready to play for us in this weekend’s fixture.’’
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