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Ireland not at All Blacks level claims former Test foe
By Ian Cameron
Despite their fine form in the this year’s Guinness Six Nations, Chris Ashton doesn’t believe that Ireland are yet the level of the All Blacks or South Africa.
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Ireland have won their first two games of this tournament at something of canter and have been winning wide praise across the rugby world.
Their Six Nations’ success to date comes however just three and half months after yet another Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit and for Ashton, it creates a bright line between the men in green and the likes of the New Zealand and the Springboks.
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“I’d love to put this Ireland team in the same category of some of those all-conquering All Blacks teams, but there is a big difference between winning a Grand Slam and winning a World Cup,” said Ashton. “Ireland know that better than anybody having not been able to progress to a World Cup semi-final in their history.
“Within Europe, Ireland have definitely been the best team, but they haven’t been able to demonstrate that at a World Cup, which is their only Achilles heel if we are comparing them with the likes of South Africa and the All Black.
Ashton doesn’t think Wales have what it takes to knock them off their perch in Round 3.
“Unfortunately, in rugby, we always want to play everything down and not get too carried away with performances and how things are going,” mused Ashton.
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“I think for Farrell’s players, when they get past Wales, which I have no doubt they will, I do think there will be some sort of dramatic unexpected win in the tournament somewhere in this Six Nations because there always is.
“Will Wales throw that up? I don’t think so, so that sets up something for England vs Ireland at Twickenham. That will be a great occasion. I think if you’re Andy Farrell you need to play down all of the noise and take it one game at a time. There is an opportunity to make history with back-to-back Grand Slams.
Regarding their players, former winger Ashton has been impressed by rookie Munster wing Calvin Nash.
“Calvin has been in good form all year. He has had a great season at Munster and is such a strong carrier. I think that he has done well in his first few international games. He has been helped by the fact that he is going into such a strong Ireland team.
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“Everyone knows their role in the team, and they are so efficient. The team are creating spaces around the edges of the pitch and it’s a really nice team to be in if you play as a winger. I think he has done well.”
Matt, I’m suspending hostilities until after we put Wales to the sword. This is not an admission of defeat! I’ll be back!
You have to get to the opposition’s goal line to get points, not the 22. Barnes also didn’t have the guts to award Ardie the penalty he won several phases before white locks.
Supremely confident.
We advanced from inside our 10 metre line to deep in the NZ 22. Barnes didnt have the guts to ping NZ for slowing at the ruck but thems the breaks. Let’s see how ye do in Dublin? Confident?
37 phases, had nothing. All the rest and training sessions in the world wouldn’t change that.
When the next RWC takes place it will celebrate 40 unbroken years of World Cup history. In all that 40 years Ireland have NEVER won one single knock-out game. Not one single knock-out game in the whole history of the tournament. And certain people want to bracket them with 7 time combined joint tournament winners NZ and SA. Amusing…..
International rugby is not all about the RWC. NZ and, previously, SA set the standard for winning every Test. Ireland have an incredible record in the past few years. Have owned the Springboks incl at RWC’23. Have won a Series in NZ - who was the last team to do that ? And won 6N and Grand Slam titles. Best team in rugby at the moment ? they wear Green and, well, its not the LOTTO Cup winners.
You are being disingenous again. You know that 7-8 training sessions against a foe is significantly superior to one training session regardless of the preparation over the previous extended period. Ireland would have also planned to beat NZ (and France and SA). But if your opponent has 7 sessions to bed in the routines and tweak them for what Ireland showed in RWC 2023 and you have one session you are at a disadvantage.
You know this but are being disindenous to claim its an excuse.
The situation is reversed? NZ lose that match every time. We don’t want the situation reversed in future. Just a level playing field where teams seeded as QF contenders aren’t disadvantaged by playing each other the week before an actual QF.
Ireland best team in the World at the moment.
3 weeks? Lol. The All Blacks began planning for that game since the Irish beat them the year before.
We had almost 18 months of preparation. Blaming a loss on the last week of prep is the lamest of excuses.
I do agree that Schmidt was invaluable in this process, much like his (and the NZ players) knowledge of NZ rugby was a massive part of Irelands successful last decade of rugby.
Ireland might have won with a different schedule, sure.
But looking at their completely clueless attack for those last 37 phases, I find it unlikely.
They have improved a lot since then though.
The next game will be interesting .
BS. I have a feeling its your arrogance saying that. You didn’t ‘find a way’ when the field was relatively level in the NZ series.
SA should have lost to England a week after playing France. That’s what extreme fatigue does. You needed a fully rested team, 3 whole weeks to train for Ireland and Joe Scmidt excellence and specific knowledge of Ireland to scrape through. Facile win for Ireland against a fatigued NZ team carrying injuries with no preparation. Irelands accuracy against Scotland? That’s what you would have got and you would have been too tired and ill prepared to do anything about it.
I have no doubt the All Blacks could have found a way to win.
They usually do.
Depends on attitude and preparation.
I think you are being disingenious. NZ had to play Uruguay 9 days before Ireland with zero injuries or fatigue. Ireland had to play Scotland 7 days before NZ in a de facto knock out match with 2 front line injuries and fatigue. This is a direct result of scheduling. You know it.
If you were scheduled to play France the week before the QTR would your champion team have found a way with one prep training session for Ireland? Tell the truth now?
All teams ask for is a level playing field.
Everyone gets injuries. The All Blacks had a bunch in 2011 including losing our first 3 choice 10s. But we had the depth to cover it.
In 2007 the all blacks rested all front line all blacks through super rugby, had training ground pool games, and entered the quarter final with the freshest, fittest players, against a French time we had pasted a few months prior.
So no I don’t think scheduling has much to do with it at all. All teams have good and bad luck and face adversity.
A champion team finds a way to win despite these things.
The Boks just had the worst schedule and toughest draw in World Cup history and they won the entire competition.
The Boks were far more fatigued heading into 2023 final than the 2015 semi final.
It’s isn’t the challenges of draws or injuries or weather or any other excuse that these teams face, it’s how they handle them.
Not much use having your team battle hardened if your players are injured or fatigued. You also have literally one focused session for the Quarter. How many focussed sessions did NZ get to prepare for Ireland in 2023? Or SA in the 2015 semi?
Having the last hard match 2-3 weekends before the quarter is useful (SA in 2023 V IRE).
In 2015 Ireland had 5 front line players injured for our quarter and a fatigue problem. France were similar. Who ever lost was eliminated as they had both hands tied behind their back facing an excellent NZ side. Dont you see anything at all wrong with this?
New Zealand who were favourites with SA the main threat. Could time to peak for the semi, safe in the knowledge of a walk over quarter (France conceded 63 against NZ).
In the end NZ scraped past SA in the semi, their freshness helping them overturn a deficit in third quarter with one if their men in the bin.
In 2023, we had both our first choice wingers injured from the Scotland game and players showing fatigue towards the end.
Well it was argued that the All Blacks were at a disadvantage in 2015 because they had their hard pool game 1st, then nothing to get them ready for the knockout phases.
If you have your hard pool game last then your players are properly battle hardened for the quarters.
We have the disadvantage of geography, money, and population size compared to aussie England France etc.
Rugby is the working class sport in New Zealand. That means that at all levels from 4 year olds up, you have very good rugby IQ in the coaching all the way through.
The game is just part of society (not so much these days as it used to) that it isn’t in other countries.
Is that an unfair advantage? It’s far more integral to success than any schedule or draw could be.
I think your conspiracy theory- even if it was true- wouldn’t change anything.
Go give Italy the favourable schedule and see what happens.
The schedule in 2015 was decided by NZ, Eng and ITV. The draw and scheduling are a joke. Instead of trying to progress the game you selfishly rigged it for the top few teams.
You spend the rest of time then sh1ting on about how great you are and that no other results matter beyond your corrupt tournament.
Maybe time to let honest, progressive nations run rugby?
Oh I know! Why even bother watching? It’s rigged so only the All Blacks, Boks, or England ever has a fair chance of winning it!
Scheduling: 4 days between matches for Tier 2s, only changed in 2015 when Japan beat SA and then got hammered by Scotland 4 days later.
In 2023 Chile got their ‘rest week’ before the quarter final. Ridiculous scheduling.
Some teams (Eng/NZ) consistently getting favorable pool scheduling while forcing other Tier 1 nations to fill the big weekend match the week before the quarter.
Draw made 3 years before the finals. Never affected controlling nations (NZ/Eng) so not changed until the powers that be were forced to conceded the absolute fiasco that every one else has seen for decades.
Best team wins 6 nations usually. Best team wins Rugby Champs usually. More often than not best team does not win RWC. A farce.