All Blacks prepare for Ireland challenge at Eden Park
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has acknowledged that while Saturday’s victory over Italy was a pass mark, a more ruthless performance will be required against an in-form Ireland side next weekend. The team is focused on protecting their unbeaten record at Eden Park.
Rennie noted that the All Blacks’ defence was initially passive in the first 10 to 15 minutes against Italy but improved significantly thereafter, showing better time and tackle execution and increased line speed. Despite leading by only four points at halftime, the All Blacks scored three tries in the first 15 minutes of the second half, a period that also saw an Italian player receive a red card for a headbutt, effectively diminishing Italy’s comeback chances.
Wing Will Jordan was a key performer, scoring a hat-trick on Saturday night. This achievement made him the All Blacks’ all-time leading try scorer, reaching 50 test tries. However, Rennie expressed frustration with the team’s lack of continuity in the final third of the game, as they failed to score any further points until after the fulltime siren.
Rennie described the second-half start as excellent but the final 25 minutes as disappointing due to loose play. He stressed the need for greater accuracy. He also mentioned that Italy played as expected, full of energy in the first half and difficult to break down, but struggled with the All Blacks’ tempo in the second half, making the lack of further scoring in the last 20 minutes particularly frustrating.
The All Blacks have started their season with wins over France and Italy. Rennie believes a more clinical and ruthless approach will be necessary to defeat Ireland at Eden Park. Ireland, much like New Zealand, has also begun their Nations Championship campaign with two victories, having narrowly beaten the Wallabies 33-31 last Saturday before securing a 36-20 win against Japan this weekend.
Defence coach Tana Umaga echoed Rennie’s sentiments, stating that the team must improve their performance against Ireland. Umaga highlighted Ireland’s history of seizing opportunities when playing the All Blacks in New Zealand, suggesting they do not fear the challenge. Rennie also pointed out that Ireland is a well-coached and smart defensive side, requiring the All Blacks to force them into making decisions.
The All Blacks are well aware of Ireland’s capabilities. Rennie stated that there is a healthy respect for the Irish team, who are expected to arrive with genuine belief in their ability to win. He noted Ireland’s strong coaching and their players’ skill, particularly their forwards’ short passing game, which will test the All Blacks at set-piece and defensively.
The upcoming match in Auckland is a significant one, as Ireland aims to end New Zealand’s impressive 52-game unbeaten run at Eden Park. The All Blacks have not lost a Test at the venue since France emerged victorious in 1994. Umaga emphasised that tradition alone would not guarantee success, and the All Blacks would need to be at the top of their game.
Rennie acknowledged the importance of playing at Eden Park, describing it as a fortress, but cautioned against complacency. He stressed that past achievements count for little and the focus must be on proper preparation and mindset. The coach also highlighted the need to contain New Zealand-born scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, a key player for Ireland, particularly given his influence from Leinster‘s combinations.
Gibson-Park scored during Ireland’s victory over Australia but was not part of the team that faced Japan. Rennie indicated that making life difficult for Gibson-Park would be crucial to prevent him from playing on the front foot and applying pressure. The All Blacks will be looking to protect their 52-test unbeaten streak at Eden Park next weekend.
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Source: rnz.co.nz
