Tana and Brian:
With around 50,000 fans willing them on, Ireland won’t lack support.
Their 28-17 win over Argentina in Dublin last weekend was scratchy, too many lineout errors, veteran hooker Rory Best looked tired and the injury to flanker Sean O’brien was a blow, but the All Blacks know they would be out of their minds to think the Six Nations champions are going to be easy.
In fact, the All Blacks have done little but talk up Ireland since arriving on the island a couple of days ago. Everything about the Irish, they said, screams danger.
Schmidt might worry them more than anyone. He has the reputation for being a meticulous planner and, as a Kiwi, he will understand the psyche of his countrymen.
He has already proved that to the All Blacks, of course.
The 40-29 win in Chicago was Ireland’s first win over the World Cup holders, who made the mistake of shifting Jerome Kaino into the unfamiliar role of lock because specialists Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock were unavailable. Ireland were good that day, but the All Blacks made life tough for themselves. Tana Umaga and Brian O’driscoll have met to bury the hatchet, and they hope the rugby world will too.
The pair were captaining the All Blacks and Lions in their New Zealand series in 2005 when Umaga, with help from hooker Keven Mealamu, took out O’driscoll in the opening test with a questionable tackle that launched ‘‘speargate’’ and the controversy has raged ever since.
Now, on the eve of world champion All Blacks playing Ireland in Dublin this weekend, the pair are hoping the matter can finally be laid to rest.
They revealed in a chat about Sunday’s test as Guinness Series ambassadors that they had settled their own differences some time ago and had a lengthy and friendly dinner together recently ‘‘to chew the fat’’ again.
"We were just chatting about it the other night. I get asked about it all the time,’’ Irish great O’driscoll, who suffered a tourending shoulder dislocation in the tackle, said at the media event
A fortnight later the All Blacks got their revenge, utilising all their menace and aggression to wipe out the Irish 21-9 in Dublin.
Schmidt will have looked at that from every angle, broken it down and warned his players to expect more of the same.
If Ireland do win on Sunday, the Irish Rugby Football Union
‘‘You’ve got to move on. You can’t bring those sorts of things through life.’’ Brian O’driscoll
where the pair even shared a hongi.
‘‘In any Q&A over the last 13 years, it is probably the one question I can guarantee. It was talked about last year because it was that 12-year [Lions] cycle. We parked it a long time ago.
‘‘It was one of those things. Was it unfortunate? Yeah. Should you have dealt with it slightly differently? Yeah. You’ve got to move on. You can’t bring those sorts of things through life.
‘‘Listen, we’re able to have a laugh and take the piss about it now, properly. Sometimes you don’t get an opportunity to meet up with people in a controlled environment. We see each other
officials may not know whether to laugh or cry.
Because Schmidt, contracted to the IRFU until after the 2019 World Cup, is no certainty to recommit. He has said he will decide later this month.
With All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who has already been in in the job sevens years, a chance to vacate his position after the