ON SATURDAY, IRELAND will provide more familiar opposition to New Zealand than is true of the reverse.
While Andy Farrell’s side will line out very similarly to how they did during last summer’s series on Kiwi soil, the All Blacks have since significantly switched things up on and off the field ahead of this weekend’s World Cup quarter-final in Paris.
And, then, of course, there is the Joe Schmidt factor, albeit the former Ireland head coach’s involvement with Ian Foster’s All Blacks was downplayed by Keith Earls earlier this week.
“I don’t think Joe would know anything about this squad,” Earls said.
“We are completely different squad. He probably knows things about individuals but, again, we have all changed our habits under this coaching staff and we genuinely don’t use any of the habits that Joe taught us.
“Look, he might have a thing on a couple of individuals but we are certainly not the same team that played under Joe.”
Schmidt’s influence on the All Blacks attack, and his familiarity — or lack thereof — with Ireland’s players four years after his departure, were among the topics discussed during The 42′s quarter-final preview on Wednesday’s Rugby Weekly Extra podcast for subscribers.
And Eoin Toolan, who worked with both Earls and Schmidt as a performance analyst with Ireland, believes Schmidt’s knowledge of Andy Farrell’s is a “point of difference” heading into Saturday’s defining showdown.
“When Joe came into the Irish setup in ’13, the detail we went into in terms of the New Zealand players’ strengths — but probably more importantly, weaknesses… He had a deep understanding of the New Zealand players and he probably took them off the pedestal a little bit,” Toolan explained.
“I think the Irish players derived a lot of confidence from that going into that week.
I know we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the 83rd minute but I think that was probably the beginning of the Irish players understanding that it’s just 15 guys on the field; yes, they’ve got brilliant attributes but they also have frailties.
“I know what Early’s saying in the press”, Toolan added, “but fundamentally, they are still the same players, they still have the same habits in terms of how they play the game.
There’s a bank of evidence there. And there’s nobody better in world rugby than Joe Schmidt when it comes to analysing video and exploiting weaknesses both in individuals and in teams.
“He’s just a world-class coach. Take away his involvement with Ireland. You can see the influence he’s had on New Zealand since he’s come back into the system.”
This is where The 42 journalist Murray Kinsella believes Schmidt’s potential influence on Saturday’s game will be most pronounced.
Speaking of the All Blacks’ attack, which has markedly improved since New Zealand’s 2-1 series defeat to Ireland last summer, Kinsella said: “Often, you know exactly what’s coming but you don’t know what option they’re going to take. In that sense, they share a similarity with Ireland.
“And Joe Schmidt’s been really important in that.
“I know all the talk this week has been that he knows the Irish players — and of course he does; he knows every player in the world because he watches every single clip in the world. But the real power he gives New Zealand is what he’s simplified and nailed down with their team.
“As Eoin said earlier, they weren’t structured enough last year. They’re more structured now. And they can still break out of that, they can still go the length of the pitch in the blink of an eye. But he (Schmidt) has got really good, simple, set-piece strikes that magnify the brilliant individual talent that the All Blacks have, and their kicking game is much better.”
The kick battle was another element of the game into which Toolan and Kinsella looked as they broke down Saturday’s salivating encounter for The 42 subscribers, while the two analysts and host Gavan Casey also previewed the other three quarter-finals.
Of Ireland versus New Zealand, Kinsella added: “It absolutely is going to take another level from Ireland than what it took last year. They’re completely aware of that.
“Also, just the stakes involved in this game, World Cup quarter-final. The All Blacks will definitely draw belief from the history — whether or that’s in any way relevant because a lot of their players weren’t in those teams.
“But they think they’re a World Cup team, a World Cup nation. They don’t think Ireland are. And I know for a fact that the other head coaches feel that way about Ireland. ‘Let’s see what you can do when the pressure’s on.’”
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