Ask any rugby player if the past matters and you generally get the same answer. It contains two letters and begins with “N”. It’s not about revenge, or previous results between the teams, or indeed what the history books say. That has been the theme, listening to coaches and players alike, in the buildup to Ireland’s tectonic plate-shifting quarter-final against New Zealand in Paris on Saturday night.
“The past is the past,” said the All Blacks head coach, Ian Foster, and you had to admit he had a point. An occasion dripping with significance, wherever you care to look, will come down to who delivers on the day. For a start Ireland have never progressed beyond the last eight. Add the fact that the great Irish fly-half and captain, Johnny Sexton, is set to retire and has entered the knockout phase of his glittering career. Throw in a dash of Ireland’s opportunity to equal the record of 18 consecutive Test victories, jointly held by New Zealand and England.
Sprinkle tens of thousands of Irish fans across Paris, ready to descend on Saint-Denis to cheer on Andy Farrell’s No 1-ranked side. Don’t forget they are up against the All Blacks, historically the greatest, most dominant team in the game and three-times world champions. And bear in mind that Ireland’s former head coach, Joe Schmidt, is plotting their downfall as part of the opposition’s coaching team. You start to get the idea. It’s a fixture you can get your teeth into.
Will history weigh heavily on Ireland’s players – specifically their record of seven defeats in seven World Cup quarter-finals? “I don’t think we’re carrying much baggage,” Sexton said this week, and the hooker, Dan Sheehan, picked up on the theme.
“It’s a completely new squad. Our mindset is different,” said the Leinster front-row on Friday. As a man who scored two tries when Ireland sealed their fourth grand slam this year, he speaks with a proven record as a big-game player. “I have no experience of earlier squads,” Sheehan added. “You treat it like another game. It’s knockout rugby.”
The consensus is – even though their more pessimistic fans may disagree – that if Ireland play to their potential, they will get over the line. While New Zealand started to throw the ball around with abandon in the pool stage, there is a doubt over whether they can match Ireland’s power up front.
And while it is about 80 minutes, 15 v 15 and all that, there is a piece of history that matters for the All Blacks. Richie Mo’unga and Ardie Savea gave insight into how their semi-final defeat by England in Japan is driving certain members of the squad.
“What happened four years ago is huge motivation for myself,” Mo’unga said. “[We were] riding a high after the quarter-final, and probably didn’t reset back to zero for that semi. That was a reminder of how brutal World Cups can be.”
Ireland Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Johnny Sexton (c), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jimmy O’Brien.
New Zealand Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (c), Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
“Different individuals tap into that, what happened in the last World Cup,” said Savea. “We have some boys that weren’t even in there, so it’s up to the individual. We’ve talked about this being a final for us, and there’s no second chance … we’re just going to go out there and jam and play some footie.”
“I don’t think the past matters,” Foster reiterated, having omitted the wing, Mark Telea, from his matchday 23 for breaching team protocol. “You learn a lot from the past. It becomes part of who you are, and it becomes part of us as a team.
“This team is ready, we’ve prepared well with this in mind. We’re excited. We know the size of the challenge and how good Ireland are. They deserve all the plaudits they get, but playoff rugby is about who’s best on the day.” As the France head coach, Fabien Galthié, said on Friday: “The past is just a memory.”
