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'Sorry Ireland, we didn't need to get motivated playing you': All Blacks great
By Josh Raisey
It must be hard to imagine for All Blacks that were playing only ten years ago that a rivalry with Ireland would not only soon emerge, but be one of the biggest in the game.
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Given that Ireland had to wait 111 years to taste victory over the All Blacks, it is understandable why any player who pulled on the black jersey prior to that historic day in Chicago in 2016 would have been slightly dismissive of the men in green.
Now with five wins in their last nine meetings, that has all changed, but former All Blacks Zinzan Brooke and Justin Marshall recently gave an insight into the All Blacks’ “type of arrogance” when facing sides that had never beaten them.
On The Good, the Bad & the Rugby podcast, the pair discussed how the “dynamic’s changed” between Ireland and New Zealand, and how Friday’s hosts at the Aviva Stadium no longer fear the three-time world champions.
From Peter O’Mahony’s comments to Sam Cane to Reiko Ioane’s message to Johnny Sexton last year, this is now a Test with a lot of “spice”, to which Brooke believes “if you’re going to give it out, you’ve got to take it as well.”
While this is now one of the biggest games in the rugby calendar, that was not always the case, as the former All Blacks No 8 explains.
“Sorry to say, Ireland, but we didn’t need to get motivated back in the day playing you guys,” Brooke said.
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“You couldn’t. You didn’t. You turned up, kicked their arse and do the job.
“We just knew if we just deliver and we just function and we just do the basics, you’ll p**s this.”
Marshall added: “A massive advantage that we had when we played was that they had never beaten us. So history was hanging over them as well. That’s quite heavy baggage to have knowing that for over 100 years you’d been trying. We know that you’ve got all the pressure because you don’t know how to get the job done, whereas we do because we’ve been doing it for over 100 years.
“So that was why we had that type of arrogance because Scotland’s never beaten us, Ireland had never beaten us, when we were playing Argentina had never beaten us, Wales hadn’t beaten us and still haven’t in sixty-odd years. All of a sudden, we’ve got that mentality. Whereas this current side, with Ireland beating them for the first time in Chicago, that’s not a burden for them any more. So the dynamic’s changed from when we were playing, because we had that edge.”
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I put that as 2 out of the last 3 to the ABs including a RWC knock-out game and Ireland at their home fortress. I think the ABs have got back on top of Ireland
Amazing to see so many Irish fans begging Dmac for a selfie with him. More amazing to see him spending a long time doing it.
Is it Ireland the ABs don't get motivated for though?
Only 10 players running out onto the field will be Irish.
From Peter O’Mahony’s comments to Sam Cane to Reiko Ioane’s message to Johnny Sexton last year, this is now a Test with a lot of “spice”, to which Brooke believes “if you’re going to give it out, you’ve got to take it as well.”
I think "Arrogance" is the word here.
Sledging during the match is not the same as abusing players and spectators after the final whistle.
As well as that being a nastily arrogant act, NZs inability to admit when they get things wrong is a further symptom of entitlement and arrogance.
Mocking beaten players and spectators is wrong: even when the "Great All Blacks" no ifs, no buts.
Remember NZ were too big to have a beer with a team they didn't rate, never mind swap a jersey. Perhaps time these "Humble Heroes" were brought down to earth a bit.
A truly global game like soccer, where everybody plays, and the winners are truly world class: they shake hands, they swap jerseys, they respect opponents.
That’s where you’re wrong about all of this.
It is perfectly fine to sledge immediately after the whistle.
That little toot-toot-tooooot isn’t a magic sound that waves all emotion away.
It was still red mist, elation, and whereas POM had the luxury of sledging when the game was as good as won, the ABs had to defend for 37 phases.
Too busy to sledge.
They left it for immediately after the whistle which is fine.
If they sledged in the media or after match function then you’d be right.
Anyway.
Everyone’s moved on so let’s all be friends again.
awwww - precious
Yep bringing up a match verbal some 12 mths after is just plain arrogance. I guess you believe you will "see SA in the final" still. Most arrogant team running around. Ireland are now clearly "slipping" and it will be great to see the rankings come out this week. Ireland, ( G-P, Aki and Lowe ) have lost their Mana.
You mean like Sexton swearing at Pyper after a game he wasn't even playing. Should have been banned from world cup but glad he wasn't as he was a match winner for NZ and Rieks could give him send off he deserved
The Irish need to harden up if what Reiko did to them (hand to his ear) leaves them offended. Mertens flicked the Saffas the bird and they got over it quick smart. Mind you that was before us couch warriors were given a platform so I could be wrong.
🤫
And the broken record keeps turning.