Rob Kearney: No danger of Ireland losing hard-won respect from All Blacks
Hugo Keenan of Ireland in action against Rieko Ioane of New Zealand. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Rob Kearney isn’t concerned that the Ireland-All Blacks relationship could be reverting back into the master and servant scenario that held for over a century before the famous game between the pair in Chicago a decade ago.
Ireland had lost 27 and drawn once before that 40-29 win in Soldier Field and the head-to-head since and including that day of days leaves it at five victories for the Six Nations side against half-a-dozen for the game’s heavyweights.
That said, the last three meetings have gone New Zealand’s way and a fourth win on the spin when they meet in Eden Park this Saturday would continue a worrying trend after such an evenly-matched spell across most of the last ten years.
Kearney doesn’t see it that way.
“No, I don’t think so,” said the former Ireland full-back who is part of the team covering this inaugural Nations Championship.
“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 (sic), 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.”
Read More
Ireland won a three-game series 2-1 in New Zealand four years ago. This time they face into a one-off clash with the three-time world champions at an Eden Park fortress where they haven’t lost since 1994.
Kearney has toured the country with Ireland in the past.
That was in 2012 when they were well beaten in Eden Park, robbed of a win a week later in Christchurch and then demolished 60-0 in Waikato third time around.
That last game remains “imprinted” on his mind and serves as a warning as to what the All Blacks can do to a team when momentum is generated.
He isn’t expecting a repeat of that, even if he seems to see Ireland as very much an underdog.
“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.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
