Tadhg Beirne: Series win over New Zealand sets Ireland up nicely

Ireland are leaning on the lessons learned in that successful southern hemisphere jaunt ahead of another meeting with the All Blacks, this time in the last eight of the World Cup

SOAKING IT IN: Ireland players Tadhg Beirne, left, and Andrew Porter celebrate after their side's victory over Scotland at the Stade de France. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Go back 15 months and Johnny Sexton was in Wellington and explaining how Ireland’s loss to France in Paris earlier in 2022 had prepared them for the upcoming third and deciding Test of their summer tour to New Zealand. Now, here they are back in the French capital and leaning on the lessons learned in that successful southern hemisphere jaunt ahead of another meeting with the All Blacks, this time in the last eight of the World Cup.

If this does turn out to be the most virtuous of circles then it's hardly surprising because the constant repetition of so many good habits by talented players is taking them into unchartered territory.

A win next weekend would take them from earth’s orbit into outer space.

A first ever semi-final is within their grasp. That and a world recording equalling 18th win in a row: a marker currently shared by their next opponents and by an England team whose successors have an infinitely easier path through to the back end of this tournament.

If Ireland make history here they will have done it the hard way.

Tadhg Beirne has been a driver of this team through this latest World Cup cycle. He played 219 of the 240 minutes in New Zealand and his early departure after 48 minutes with the game against Scotland won was his first time off the pitch here in France.

The Munster forward was happy to retrace his steps back into the past and put that New Zealand tour - replete with three Tests and two games against a strong Maori selection - into the appropriate context ahead of the challenge to come.

“It was massive really because it’s not just about the opponents, it’s more about the actual week. Those kind of weeks where you have to win. You know, we lost the first Test and we knew going into the second Test that we had to win or the tour was over.

“That’s what will stand to us, the pressure of those things. We will relish this week and look forward to the challenge ahead.

“You have seen how much New Zealand have grown as the competition has gone on, so I’m sure they will also be pretty excited to play us, considering last time out we came away with that series win. They will certainly be looking to make some rights.” 

Beauden Barrett has already intimated as much with comments made long before Ireland accounted for the Scots but there if there is a sense of atonement attached to next Saturday’s game then it is one shared by Ireland.

Beirne is one of 13 players here in France who featured in the 23 that was hosed by the All Blacks in the quarter-final in Tokyo four years ago. The difference between that Ireland and this one is chalk and cheese.

Scotland aren’t the same deal as the three-time winners but they pounded the Irish defensive line for a good 20 minutes in the Pool B game on Saturday and were rewarded with precisely nothing by a superb defensive effort.

“We felt pretty comfortable out there, which was good,” said Beirne.

That’s quite the word against the No 5 ranked team in the world. Comfortable. And it was. Ireland allied that side of things with a razor-sharp attacking thrust and another brilliantly bossy display at the breakdown.

In that there were some similarities to the win against South Africa but this was a very different game too. Ireland’s lineout was almost faultless, for starters, and this ability to fix leaks and win in different ways is becoming a calling card for the team.

“Yeah, completely different team, completely different way of playing. [Scotland] like to play wide. I know South Africa like to at times as well, but South Africa look to beat you up a little bit physically before they go wide-wide.

“Scotland like to just play wide-wide and catch you out. Thankfully for us, we did our homework well and we defended really well. I’m sure Si [Easterby] will be pretty pleased with how that went.” 

On they go. An interesting week lies ahead. Ireland have made it a point to stay humble and let the outside noise blow over their heads, whether that be South Africa’s 7-1 split on the bench, talk of Kiwi revenge, or Scotland’s chest-puffing.

It was Blair Kinghorn who declared with some authority that Ireland’s winning run would come to an end at their hands and Ireland aren’t against the idea of clipping these words to the work book if needs be.

“Yeah, look, they can say what they want, we will use that as ammo if we see fit,” said Beirne of the Scottish declarations last week. “Some of the comments that came out, that’s how they felt.

“They are a confident team, they play good rugby, and they really felt like they could come here and beat us, but we are able to use that as motivation as well. We are confident in our own ability, and yeah, for sure, we were happy with how it went.”