Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

How the All Blacks plan to challenge Ireland after gutsy England win

Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan of New Zealand celebrate at full time during the Autumn Nations Series 2025 match between England and New Zealand All Blacks at the Allianz Stadium on November 02, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

It doesn’t get much tougher for the All Blacks than facing the world’s top-ranked side Ireland on their home track at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, but assistant coach Jason Ryan believes a bit of “variation” in attack can go a long way to delivering a positive result.

ADVERTISEMENT

With coach Scott Robertson at the helm, the All Blacks have won their last four Test matches on the bounce, which includes two triumphs over the Wallabies. But more recently, New Zealand put 64 points on Eddie Jones’ Japan, and they beat England in a thriller last time out.

Some considered the All Blacks to be the underdogs going into last weekend’s match at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, as England looked to kick-start their international season in style. It was a tense contest, but the boot of Marcus Smith had the hosts in a prime position.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

While the All Blacks clawed their way back to take a two-point lead after a clutch sideline conversion from Damian McKenzie, two missed point-scoring opportunities from George Ford saw England go down swinging 24-22.

On Saturday morning (NZST), the All Blacks will look to back that up by bringing a surprising drought in Dublin to an end. The Irish will likely be considered favourites by most, but coach Ryan has weighed in on what the All Blacks need to do so they can play their game.

“I think it starts from variation in your set piece. If you’re carrying straight away off a scrum or off a lineout, there’s opportunities to get on the ball for the opposition in the first two phases,” Ryan explained on SENZ Breakfast.

“If we have a couple of kicking options… that shapes the defence a little bit differently and if you’ve got a couple of lineout throws over the top to your midfielder, that gets them thinking differently too.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s about shaping them, not being too predictable in those moments so that they don’t really know when to commit to the breakdown and when not to.”

The rugby history between New Zealand and Ireland is fascinating. For so long, the Irish fell short in fierce battles as the All Blacks reigned supreme time and time again. But that came to a history-making end in Chicago, USA, in 2016.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
3
Draws
0
Wins
2
Average Points scored
25
25
First try wins
80%
Home team wins
40%

On November 5, Chicago’s Soldier Field hosted a famous Test from an Irish rugby point of view as the men in green won their first-ever match against New Zealand. The All Blacks have since lost four of eight Tests between the sides, but that includes World Cup matches.

New Zealand beat Ireland in the quarter-final stage of the last two Rugby World Cups, including a 28-24 result at Stade de France last year. But this week’s match is in Dublin, and recent history suggests that that bodes well for the hosts.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ireland hasn’t lost to New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium since November 19, 2016. It’s true they’ve only played another two times at the venue in 2018 and then 2021, but it’s still a surprising bit of history the All Blacks will want to change.

“Everyone that’s here is tracking really well so all going well, by the end of the week, we should have a good full contingent,” Ryan said, when asked to provide a squad update after Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor were made unavailable for the Test.

“Obviously a short turnaround so making sure that the boys are as fresh as we can get them in that recovery time from the Twickenham Test and as sharp as they will need to be so that we can bring an intensity that’s going to be right up there with what we’ve just experienced – probably a little bit more to be fair.”

Louis Rees-Zammit joins Jim Hamilton for the latest episode of Walk the Talk to discuss his move to the NFL. Watch now on RugbyPass TV

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

12 Comments
N
NM 4 hours ago

It was a very gutsy win against England. There has been lots of negative comment about 'lucky escapes' & England losing by 'the width of a goal post'. Yes, this is all true but conversely nothing has been said about the AB's scoring 3 tries to one, & this could easily have been 5 to 1 had it not been for a PT dropped catch or a CC fingertip knock on! An unusually high penalty count also gifted the poms 15 easy points. What if's are meaningless, history only remembers the score board. With just a little more patience, discipline, & accuracy this evolving AB's team will be #1 again!

B
Bruiser 5 hours ago

Any update on Daltz or Blackadder?

K
Kia koe 4 hours ago

I bet Blackadder will be back. Razor mentioned it last week, that Blackadder could be up for Irish game. I bet it's all planned. Blackadder might start and sititi will come on against tired legs. Blackadder has an engine for sure

J
JWH 4 hours ago

Still injured.

B
Bruiser 5 hours ago

I like Ryans thinking re the variation from set piece. Just need to get better execution of the cross kicks and over the back lineout throws. This is def the way for ABs to play going forward. Keep opposition guessing and play heads up footie. All these turkeys commenting on how the ABs have lost their identity, clearly know nothing about the ABs identity..it has always been about innovation for the last 100+ years.

C
CO 31 mins ago

They don't have any choice against Ireland when the Allblacks pick only two lineout jumpers.


They went short and to the over throw repeatedly against the English and this telegraphing of intent by Jason Ryan to repeat the dose may be a smokescreen.


What I'd do against the Irish is start Cane at seven to rough them up (legally) in a return to 2016 and start three locks with Tupou shifted to six.


Sititi at eight with Savea to lead the bench impact with a 6-2 split that includes Darry and Finau. Ratima and ALB to cover the backs.


Savea to replace Cane after thirty or so minutes with Cane instructed to empty the tank.


No disrespect to Ireland, they're the toughest test, slightly tougher than France with with only six days recovery for the Allblacks and up against the best coaching group in the north.

K
Kia koe 4 hours ago

Well said. ,:)

J
JWH 5 hours ago

ABs to win by 3 after disgustingly good Caleb Clarke hattrick.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 3 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
Search