Despite Ireland losing their last three games against the All Blacks, former full-back Rob Kearney does not believe the rivalry is going back to the days of New Zealand dominance.
Andy Farrell’s men are facing the daunting task of attempting to defeat New Zealand in Eden Park, who have not lost there since 1994.
Since Ireland’s 2-1 series win in 2022, New Zealand edged out their 2023 World Cup quarter-final, before comprehensive wins in the Aviva Stadium and Chicago.
Having waited until 2016 for their first win over the All Blacks, Ireland enjoyed four victories in the next six years, and Kearney says that respect is still there.
“I think once you get that respect from a rugby nation, it is always sort of there.
“To be fair to this New Zealand team, they will fully understand that if they’re not fully on it and Ireland have one of their very best days, then we will give them a serious run for their money.
“Those last four games, we were slow to start. One was at the start of one season, and the last time we played them, I think only about half of our team had about 150 minutes [of rugby played that season].
“Now, you can make excuses every single time, but the last few times that we played them, I don’t think we have seen remotely close to their best what the team is able to do.”
In the last two games against New Zealand, Ireland have had plenty of possession and chances to win, but inaccuracy and decision-making in the 22 cost them.
In Ireland’s wins in 2016 and 2018, and the series win in 2022, Ireland were clinical when they got chances, and Kearney wants to see a return to Ireland’s ruthless ways under Farrell.
“Andy Farrell’s teams in 2021, 2022 and 20223, their starts were electric. They came out of the blocks and blew teams away early on.
“In the last 12 or 18 months, we have become a team that are a little bit slower at starting. That is all well and good when you are playing Australia and Japan, you literally cannot get away with it against the All Blacks in Eden Park.
“I am sure some of the press interviews from the coaches in the last couple of weeks, they have been focusing on this fast start, and it hasn’t happened for them.
“Hopefully, they will be able to put that into practice this week, because it will be very important. If they go seven or 10 points down, it will become an awful lot more difficult”
The days may be over of New Zealand winning 60-0 against Ireland, as they did in the third test in 2012 to complete a 3-0 series win.
However, under new coach Dave Rennie, the All Blacks will be determined to put down a marker just over a year from the World Cup.
Neither team are where they would like to be at this moment, but Kearney knows how dangerous New Zealand still are.
“This team (Ireland) still has a bit of work to go before they can feel fully confident in what they are doing.
“By actually beating New Zealand away from home, it will give this current group of players an awful lot more belief in their ability to match it with the current best players in the world.
“This current All Blacks team doesn’t have the same mystique of that All Blacks team. For me anyway, that All Blacks team of ’11 and ’15 are the greatest rugby team that I have ever witnessed.
“I don’t think this current group of players has the same sort of ability to beat us by 60 points. We’re also a far better team now than we were in 2012.
“But the All Blacks, and the allure and the mystique that goes with them, every team that plays them knows that they can put up a big cricket score on you if you aren’t quite on it.”
Catch all the action live on Virgin Media PLAY and Virgin Media One, the exclusive free-to-air home of the Nations Championship.
