RIGHT PLACE... RIGHT TIME
Henderson is a big man for big occasion
BRODIE RETALLICK was asked on Monday for his memories of the breathless series decider against Ireland from July 2022. ‘I remember getting a fractured cheek,’ came the reply. ‘I haven’t forgotten about that one.
‘I’m not going to dwell on that. It was still head on head, in my opinion, it’s frustrating when injuries rule you out of the game.’
For a man who isn’t dwelling on it, Retallick’s recall was sharp and pointed. New Zealand players don’t forget the bad times. They are exposed so rarely that when defeats come, they nurse them like the bitterest grudge.
Retallick went off in that match after a clash of heads with Andrew Porter that saw the Ireland loose-head shown a yellow card.
That hasn’t been forgotten by the New Zealand camp, either, especially after they had Angus Ta’avao sent off in the second Test for a very similar incident.
‘We came right back into that game when they went down to 14, and they should have stayed at 14 for the rest of the game,’ was Ian Foster’s memory of that third Test.
The decision provoked fury in New Zealand at the time, and it was dismissed as sour grapes of a distinctly Kiwi vintage, which was inevitable but which overlooked just how fortunate Porter was.
That hasn’t been forgotten in the New Zealand camp, and that Retallick was put up for media duties this week was significant.
He remains one of their inspirations, a pivotal figure in a pack that is being lightly regarded in aspects of the analysis here ahead of the quarter-final.
The New Zealand eight are not the force of old, and their back row hasn’t been a potent force since the retirement of Richie McCaw. Mention of the great man’s name brings up another incident from last year’s tour revisited in New Zealand this week, Peter O’Mahony’s devastating dismissal
Ghghghgghg hghghghgh ghghghghg hghghgh ghghgh of Sam Cane as a ‘s*** Richie McCaw’.
Cane is their captain but probably not part of their most effective back row, where Ardie Savea is an indisputably world-class talent.
But the depiction of the All Blacks’ pack as a faded force, stocked with has-been and neverweres, is grossly misleading. Their front row, likely to be boosted by the fitness of tighthead Tyrel Lomax, may not be a bulldozing force, but this is a unit that copes with the best South Africa can throw at them every year in the rugby championship.
The mightiest New Zealand sides have not been driven by monstrous forwards, but rather clever, adaptable ones that can do enough to break even against more forceful opponents.
It’s even arguable Ireland have the superior tight five.
The Irish scrum endured moments of acute discomfort against the Springboks, for instance, which were mostly overlooked as the lineout difficulties dominated discussions.
The back-row is the one area where Ireland look superior, but the second-row picture is likely to be changed by the absence of James Ryan. News that he returned to Dublin this week for scans on his injured arm and his absence from training yesterday indicate he will play no part.
That means Iain Henderson continuing alongside the magnificent Tadhg Beirne, who is probably second only to Bundee Aki as Ireland’s player of the tournament so far.
They were a terrific pairing in dominating Scotland’s set-piece last Saturday, with the Irish team enjoying complete success on their own throw, while also stealing three Scottish balls.
The return of Dan Sheehan was another factor but Henderson was the lineout caller, just as he was when he came on for Ryan in the crucial final halfhour against South Africa.
And his effort then, combined with his performance in all aspects of the game against Scotland, marked a significant point in the career of a player who is already a veteran. But while Henderson, 31, will win his 79th cap this weekend, he has too often seemed a silhouetted presence around this generation of players. His talent is vast and was flagged up from his earliest days at Ulster. This is his third World Cup, and he won his first cap under Declan Kidney.
But he has always struggled to etablish himself as a go-to prezence in the second row..
He is a big man physically but perhaps because of his handling skills, he has never attracted the reputation of a physical enforcer. That should have seen him emerge as a player more in the style of Victor Matfield or Retallick, but inconsistency was another issue.
He spoke impressively last week about living the reality of being a squad player, adapting to that status and doing what needed to be done for the good of the squad. He is popular with his team-mates and the coaches, but this week makes demands of him on another level.
He will call the line-outs if, as expected, Ryan is out, and New Zealand will seek to take advantage of his absence.
Henderson and Sheehan will come under huge pressure, with New Zealand’s second-row pairing not the worn-out partnership of latest repute.
Retallick is still just 32, and clearly motivated to flex against Ireland. Alongside him is sure to be a man winning his 151st cap.
Sam Whitelock turns 35 tomorrow and broke McCaw’s caps record earlier in the tournament, which had stood at 148, against Italy.
Whitelock is famously taciturn, and his team-mates joked about making him mark the occasion.
Claims of decline in the All Blacks’ engine room have more credence when attached to him than Retallick, and he is a player whose mightiest days are in the past. But he remains fit and athletic, and can call upon a vast amount of experience.
As much as the influence of Joe Schmidt has been rightly flagged up ahead of this clash, the knowledge that Whitelock and Retallick can draw upon could be hugely significant, too.
The challenge for the Irish pack is not on the scale of the South African one, when the Springboks went after Ireland with a fury at scrum and line-out time.
It will be different, less overtly aggressive but still intense.
And it will constitute the biggest challenge of Iain Henderson’s career so far.