Hansen acclaims Irish as second-best in world
New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has raised the stakes ahead of Saturday’s clash between Ireland and the All Blacks by declaring that “whoever wins will be the best team in the world, regardless of [world] rankings”.
Just hours after touching down in Dublin following New Zealand’s 16-15 victory over England at Twickenham, Hansen wasted no time getting started on the mind games, making some mischievous team predictions.
Hansen said he was “convinced” that British & Irish Lion Conor Murray would play on Saturday despite his opposite number Joe Schmidt describing that scenario as “highly unlikely” following Ireland’s victory over Argentina on Saturday.
A neck injury has kept Murray on the sidelines since Ireland’s tour of Australia in June and the Munster scrum-half said last month that he was targeting a return by the end of this month. But he was in the Irish set-up at the outset of the international window, before heading to Dubai for a short break last week.
Schmidt said on Saturday that he would speak to his first-choice scrum-half to see whether he felt ready to return to the side.
However, he cautioned that it would be “tough to throw [Murray] into a game of this magnitude, so it’s highly unlikely that he will be involved”.
Hansen appeared to call Schmidt’s bluff last night. “Yeah. I think he will [play],” he said. “I’m not saying that to stir any trouble. But he’s a real competitor. He’ll want to play. If he’s got a chance, I think he’ll play. If it was one of our guys in the same boat, I’d say he’d be putting his hand up.”
Asked whether it was a risk to throw a key player into a game of such magnitude, Hansen added: “Brodie Retallick hadn’t played too much either [prior to New Zealand’s win over England on Saturday], so big players will get up and if they think they’re right to play, let them play. Conor Murray’s a real competitor. If he says he’s right to play, let him play.”
Murray’s record against the All Blacks is very good. He was instrumental to Ireland’s only victory over them, in Chicago in 2016, and put huge pressure on Aaron Smith when the Lions drew their Test series in New Zealand 18 months ago.
New Zealand’s response to defeat in Chicago in 2016 was brutal. Heading to Dublin a few weeks later, they won 21-9 in one of the most violent Test matches in recent memory; Sam Cane and Malakai Fekitoa were cited and Robbie Henshaw departed on a stretcher.
Henshaw is battling to be fit for this weekend’s game, too, after feeling a tightness in his hamstring during Saturday’s warm-up.
Garry Ringrose is expected to come in and partner Bundee Aki in the centre, with Dan Leavy likely to continue at openside after coming on for Sean O’brien, who broke his arm on Saturday. Devin Toner is expected to start in the second row as Ireland attempt to shore up their line-out following an uncharacteristically messy performance.
Tries from Kieran Marmion, Aki and Luke Mcgrath eventually helped them ease to victory over an Argentina team for whom Bautista Delguy crossed in the first half. But it was far from pretty.
Hansen expects the real Ireland to show up this weekend. “I know Ireland will be a better team when they play us because every team seems to find another 10 per cent because it’s a good story if you beat the All Blacks,” he said.
Ireland might have had the chance to go No 1 in the world with victory on Saturday had England
held on for a win at Twickenham. But Hansen said that in his opinion whoever won would claim bragging rights regardless, agreeing with the description of the game as almost akin to a World Cup play-off.
“It’s one and two so whoever wins will be the best team in the world,” he said. “Regardless of rankings that’s what people will take out of it. It will be a goody.” Scores 0-3 Sanchez pen; 5-3 Marmion try; 5-6 Sanchez