All Blacks pack must show way forward
Will the real All Blacks forwards please stand up. After having the proverbial sand kicked in their faces in Dublin last November, the big men of the New Zealand pack have waited seven long, agonising months for this shot at redemption.
Now, finally, that time is here with tonight’s first of three straight tests between Ian Foster’s All Blacks and Andy Farrell’s Ireland at a sold-out Eden Park carrying a raft of storylines, but none more compelling than the challenge that lies in front of the New Zealand pack.
It’s doubtful the All Blacks big men were embarrassed by their performance at Aviva Stadium last November 14, when the Irish pack put them to the sword to lay the foundations for a famous 29-20 victory. But they should have been. Not only was it their third defeat in the last five against the men from the Emerald Isle but the way the furious green-clad forwards exposed the soft underbelly of Foster’s tourists was as concerning as it was telling.
The Irish dominated possession and territory, squeezing the All Blacks into submission up front, harassing them into a catalogue of errors and running away to a deserved victory. That it was followed seven days later by an even more comprehensive dismantling by the French only turned the volume up on alarm bells that by that stage were ringing loudly.
The Irish had double the ball-in-hand runs, galloped for nearly twice as many metres and won a stirring encounter by the length of the proverbial straight.
The versatile home props outshone the limited All Blacks, a dynamic second row made Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick look like draught horses and the loose trio battle was won resoundingly by the men in green.
There are a half-dozen survivors from that match in the All Blacks pack tonight – Codie Taylor, Retallick, Whitelock, Ardie Savea, Dalton Papalii and Karl Tu’inukuafe are backing up – but all will carry the weight of that performance on to Eden Park where they haven’t lost in 28 years.
Much as England had done in the World Cup semifinal in 2019 and the Boks have
PLAYER TO WATCH: BEAUDEN BARRETT
Outplayed by Richie Mo’unga in the Super Rugby final last month, the Blues pivot gets first chance in the No 10 jersey. How he copes with Ireland’s bruising and rushing defence will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the match.
7.05pm, Saturday Eden Park, Auckland Live coverage on Stuff from 6.40pm
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Jordan Way (Australia) Television match official: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) TAB odds: All Blacks $1.27, Ireland $3.70
Samisoni Taukei’aho, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Angus Ta’avao, Pita Gus Sowakula, Dalton Papalii, Finlay Christie, Richie Mo’unga, Braydon Ennor.
Dan Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Cian Healy, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Bundee Aki.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JAMES LOWE
Who could forget the former Chief howling in delight after Ireland beat the All Blacks in Dublin last November? The dangerous wing scored a try that night, and is sure to be a handful for Kiwi defenders in his return home. managed sporadically over the years, Ireland throttled the All Blacks with their dominance up front. The excuses were trotted out – long year, big tour, and all that – but New Zealand rugby followers recognised a good old-fashioned spanking when they saw one.
They also understand a response must be forthcoming. A shift taken. The New Zealand forwards cannot be man-handled like that in this series. They must answer back, with their muscle, with their hustle, and, most importantly, with their skill. They must answer the call.
It’s perhaps why Foster has rolled the dice and sent Scott Barrett out at No 6 to beef up his pack. It is a move that failed resoundingly the only previous time it was attempted (at the 2019 World Cup against England), but desperate times and all that. Barrett has been charged with setting a physical tone absent last November.
No-one has done it too easily this week. Ireland are banged up already as they chase a first win on Kiwi soil, and the All Blacks have been without their head coach and his chief offsider for the entire buildup.
But Foster, who will join his men today after a week in isolation, calls this a ‘‘great series’’ for his team precisely because of that hovering pressure.
‘‘It’s ideal,’’ he said of a rare measuring stick type matchup in July, rather than November. ‘‘We get a chance to test ourselves over three weeks when we’re still developing our game, so it gives us good scope for learning.’’
Skipper Sam Cane accepted the forwards bore the brunt of the response required. He wasn’t ducking that.
‘‘We’ll put heat on our forward pack to step up in the set piece and collisions,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s no secret that test rugby is about dominating collisions and winning small inches and moments like that.
‘‘There’s certainly that stone in your shoe, or rock under your beach towel, sort of feeling because of how we finished last year.’’