Head Coach Andy Farrell and his Ireland squad are much too streetwise to describe tomorrow night’s test with the All Blacks (K.O. at 8.10 p.m.) as a “revenge” mission, but don’t be fooled as that is exactly what they see in their crosshairs as they entertain them at the Aviva Stadium.
Spectators only have to see the name of Peter O’Mahony, who has played less than an hour’s rugby this season added to the squad last weekend after playing a half for Munster against the Kiwi second team, to realize that this game has a whiff of unfinished business to it for many of those involved in the World Cup disappointment in Paris last year.
Only a victory will help relieve the hurt that has followed the likes of Johnny Sexton into retirement, O’Mahony at 35 into his twilight moments in a green jersey and Farrell into transition as temporary Lions coach for next year’s tour of Australia.
All three named were leaders who had seen Ireland go to New Zealand the previous summer and carve out a historic 2-1 Test series win on their soil and when we followed that up with Six Nations victory and then a win over the reigning World Cup champions last October, we seemed on track to travel at least to the semi-final or final stages of the competition.
The way some All Blacks players celebrated into the faces of the likes of Sexton and O’Mahony, allied to the huge disappointment that we should have had a late penalty try but Wayne Barnes refused to blow, all added up to a huge sense of anti-climax for the players, management and supporters in green following the four-point defeat by 28-24.
Star full-back Hugo Keenan admitted last week: “We are still hurting a bit from the World Cup, it was a hugely disappointing loss.But we have to view it as a fresh series back at home, the excitement around playing four brilliant sides. A lot of things have changed since then through playing squads and coaching staff as well.
Hugo Keenan was consoled by family members after the quarter-final loss to New Zealand in Paris 13 months ago. [Inpho/Dan Sheridan]
"It's not a new cycle either but, no, I don’t think we’ll be looking at it as a revenge game. It’s a game against one of the top nations in the world and historically probably the best team in the world."
Referring to the late decisions that didn’t go Ireland’s way, the full-back, who looks a shoe-in for a Lions test place next summer, told RTE: “Yeah, it is nearly as simple as the bounce of a ball, isn't it? That's why these games are so exciting, that’s why Test rugby is so brilliant at the moment and why it is so competitive, so many teams can beat each other.
"That's also why it made it so tough of a loss that day, that it could have gone either way...statistically we might have won a few battles but that is why rugby is so entertaining, why everybody loves it so much,” stressed the 28-year-old who is now firmly back in the international set-up after being part of the Ireland Sevens Olympic squad.
New Zealand will take the field without influential pair Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor after both suffered head injuries in last Saturday’s two point win over England at Twickenham.
Ireland continued its training camp in Portugal until Tuesday where they were joined by O’Mahony, who seems a certainty for a spot in the matchday squad.
