LONG GONE ARE the days when New Zealand expected to steamroll the Irish team in front of them.
It’s been a proper rivalry since Ireland beat them for the first time ever in Chicago in 2016.
That victory is one of the five wins Ireland have enjoyed in the past eight meetings between the teams. Under Andy Farrell, Ireland have won three out of four games against the Kiwis.
Irish teams always respected the New Zealanders, and maybe even feared them at times, but it works both ways now. There’s mutual respect.
“Rugby is one of those games where when you go onto the field, you go to beat the crap out of each other for 80 minutes and when you step off it, you’re very happy to grab a beer with your opposition number and enjoy the moments afterwards,” said Tadhg Beirne today in Paris.
“It’s no different with New Zealand. One thing I will remember from New Zealand is after the last Test [last year], we had beaten them and we ran out of beer pretty quickly. The New Zealand squad were pretty quick to bring in their beer and leave us celebrating. That’s respect too, off-field respect.
“It will be no different on Saturday, we’re both going to go at it for 80 minutes and we’ll be very happy to walk in and have a beer in the changing room with them, for sure.”
That it’s a World Cup quarter-final adds hugely to the anticipation this time. Four years ago, the All Blacks hammered Ireland 46-14 at this stage of the tournament but it’s highly unlikely to be similar this time.
Indeed, Ireland are the marginal favourites. They know this weekend will be a test like few others, but there is belief to draw on having beaten the Kiwis in last year’s Test series in New Zealand.
“I suppose you have to build on a bit of the confidence that it has given you in, coming out better in the past,” said Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan.
“But we haven’t played them for over a year now. They will have improved massively. They will have taken the learnings from those games and they’ll come out gunning for us as well.
“We’re just preparing as best we can this weekend, looking at what they have done in the recent past in the last couple of games to try get ahead of that. Just focusing on ourselves then over the next couple of day, getting ourselves right.”
Another reason for Ireland to be excited about Saturday night is the Irish crowd. The Green Army have become one of the big stories of this World Cup due to the sheer number of them, as well as their new anthem, the Cranberries’ Zombie.
“I’m loving it, to be honest,” said Beirne. “It’s class to watch. Just standing in the stadium after the last couple of wins, you have to take a moment to enjoy it.
“We have been sending each other some funny videos of fans on the street and stuff, enjoying themselves. And that’s what it’s all about for us.
“We want to get the people back home and the people who are travelling excited to watch us excited to be here, and be hopeful, I suppose.
“They might be getting ahead of themselves, but we have to keep ourselves grounded. I think that’s what it’s all about, it’s about the Irish fans for sure.”
One other factor to give Ireland confidence is that head coach Andy Farrell named wing pair James Lowe and Mack Hansen in his starting XV for this weekend.
Lowe has overcome an eye injury, while Ireland say they’re confident Hansen will recover from his calf issue in time to play.
“It’s brilliant,” said Keenan. “We finished the [Scotland] game with an interesting back three. Jamo [Gibson-Park] did a brilliant job, didn’t he? He is such a creative player, so exciting, so he slotted in well on the wing.
“To have the two lads back again brings a bit of X-factor to the back three. I always enjoy playing with them, so it’s great news.”