JOE SCHMIDT IS renowned for picking out opposition weaknesses, even against the very best teams in the world.
Jacob Stockdale’s try from a lineout against the All Blacks in Dublin last November was a prime example, as the Ireland head coach designed a move that would exploit the Kiwis’ backfield positioning to create space.
Ireland snuck the ball back to where it had come from, Stockdale chipped into that space and the beautiful set-piece try was integral to a memorable 16-9 win.
We must wait for Saturday in Tokyo Stadium to see what Schmidt has up his sleeve for the Kiwis this time around, but All Blacks boss Steve Hansen fired a warning shot his counterpart’s way as World Cup quarter-final week got underway.
“We’ve got weaknesses like everybody else, so you’ve got to look at your own weaknesses as much as anybody else’s,” said Hansen.
“You know that Joe does a lot of studies, so that can be a strength and a weakness. I might be able to set him up.”
Schmidt would probably point out that he’s also been showing the All Blacks and everyone else a certain picture that could change on Saturday, lending this quarter-final another layer of intrigue.
Hansen believes the Kiwis have a good grasp of what Ireland are going to throw their way this weekend.
“They’re pretty set on how they play, just like we are,” said Hansen. “They play to their strengths. Conor Murray does a lot of kicking and they use [Johnny] Sexton to drive them around the park and their big forwards to carry and why would they want to change?
“That’s been very successful for them. I think they’re better than a one-man team but their 10 is pretty important.”
The battle between Schmidt’s Ireland and the All Blacks has been fascinating since the Kiwi took over from Declan Kidney in 2013, when a last-gasp Ryan Crotty try broke Irish hearts in Dublin.
Ireland finally broke their duck against the Kiwis in 2016 in Chicago before being beaten back on home soil two weekends later. Last November’s win means Ireland have the winning momentum in this head-to-head but Schmidt’s side are likely to bring out the best in the All Blacks again this weekend.
“It’s taken them a long time to get there [and beat the All Blacks] and obviously they enjoyed it,” said Hansen, “so they decided to keep doing it.
“I think there’s a lot of respect from both sides. We played them in November and it was a titanic struggle and on the day they were the better side. Most teams we play get up 10% better than they normally do and they’re no different.
“The big difference here is it’s a do-or-die game for both teams. Both teams are in good nick – fresh, excited and, I can only speak on behalf of ourselves, we’re really looking forward to the challenge.
“They have brought out the best in us for a long, long time. I don’t know how many games we have played and we enjoy playing them and that hasn’t changed because they have beaten us a couple of times.
“A lot of people are going to be talking about the past but it’s what happens on Saturday that counts. What happened prior to that is irrelevant.”
While Ireland played Samoa on Saturday, the All Blacks’ scheduled final pool game against Italy was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis.
Hansen passed on his squad’s sympathies to the Japanese people, saying that his own experience of the Christchurch earthquake means he knows how difficult a time it is.
That cancelled match means the Kiwis will have had a 13-day build-up to their quarter-final clash with Ireland, which Hansen said has been helpful.
“Having a week off is not a bad thing. We’re quite excited by that fact it allowed us to work really hard Friday.
“GPS numbers were equivalent or just above what a normal Test match would be, so we don’t feel like we’ve lost any opportunity to get ourselves where we need to be.
“The exciting part is we had Saturday locked up in the hotel and had a whole day’s rest when we couldn’t do anything because of the storm.”
