The All Blacks will look to take another step towards a hat-trick of World Cup titles when they take on Ireland in Tokyo.
While the All Blacks are the definite favourites, the Irish have found ways to beat them recently and going into this tournament held the Kiwi’s coveted world No.1 ranking. This won’t be as straightforward as many might think.
The All Blacks’ ability to defend for long periods with confidence and then counter with devastating effect makes them so difficult to play against. But let’s not get carried away.
This 2019 side is not as impressive as the 2015 or 2011 vintages and teams like Australia, South Africa and Ireland have shown in the past year that they can be beaten.
To prevent that from happening Steve Hansen will look to his forwards to set a solid platform with the engine room of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick playing crucial roles.
Retallick is still working his way back to full match fitness so Ireland might sense an opportunity.
Hansen is persisting with Richie Mo’unga at fly-half and Beauden Barrett at full-back. It’s worked well at times and while Barrett might be a better No.10, this setup can cause huge problems for opposition, especially if they don’t kick well.
The Irish will miss Bundee Aki with the centre banned for three games for a red card in his last game. The hard-running centre could have caused real issues for the fresh Kiwi centre partnership of Jack Goodhue and Anton Lienert-Brown but Jo Schmidt will just have to think of other plans.
The half-backs pairing of Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton is crucial to the Irish hopes. Sexton has not been in his best form recently but he’s still a very good player. Conor Murray ironically missed Ireland’s win over the All Blacks last November but he’s arguably still their most important player.
(Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
If he can kick well and move his team around then Ireland can stop the All Blacks playing the game they want to play and pin them back deep in their own half.
The game is hotting up nicely with Sexton throwing some spice on things yesterday when he said that it was the All Blacks overly aggressive play that had led to referees cracking down at this tournament.
Brave words when you consider he’ll have Aardie Savea, Sam Cane and Kieran Read running at him for 80 minutes.
Prediction
12 of the Irish starting 15 beat the All Blacks in late 2018, and this time they’ve got Connor Murray too.
The Irish might wish they were playing this World Cup a year or 18 months ago but there’s something in the air with this one and we could in store for an upset.
Ireland to win by 3.
Where: Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo
Date: Saturday October 19
Kick-off: 9:15pm AEDT
TV: Foxsports
Betting: All Blacks $1.18, Ireland $4.70
All Blacks
15. Beauden Barrett
14. Sevu Reece
13. Jack Goodhue
12. Anton Lienert-Brown
11. George Bridge
10. Richie Mo’unga
9. Aaron Smith
8. Kieran Read (c)
7. Sam Cane
6. Ardie Savea
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Brodie Retallick
3. Nepo Laulala
2. Codie Taylor
1. Joe Moody
Replacements
16. Dane Coles
17. Ofa Tuungafasi
18. Angus Ta’avao
19. Scott Barrett
20. Matt Todd
21. TJ Perenara
22. Sonny Bill Williams
23. Jordie Barrett
Ireland
15. Rob Kearney
14. Keith Earls
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Jacob Stockdale
10. Johnny Sexton
9. Conor Murray
8. CJ Stander
7. Josh van der Flier
6. Peter O’Mahony
5. James Ryan
4. Iain Henderson
3. Tadhg Furlong
2. Rory Best (c)
1. Cian Healy
Replacements
16. Niall Scannell
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Andrew Porter
19. Tadhg Beirne
20. Rhys Ruddock
21. Luke McGrath
22. Joey Carbery
23. Jordan Larmour
Referee: Nigel Owens
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzere, Angus Gardner
TMO: Graham Hughes
2019 World Cup Form
New Zealand -WWW
Ireland WWLW
Overthehill
Roar Rookie
Well....all your predictions just got destroyed by a totally ruthless, oppressive All Black tide that resembled nothing like the team/s defeated last time by Ireland. I for one was puzzled by every comment alluding to those games (Ireland wins 2 out of 3) ....who cares,it's now that matters ...last 2 years count for nothing .You don't get points for games gone by! This side is not impressive?.....You are hard to please.Steve Hansen is Steve Hansen is what makes him almost set apart from other coaches , because he can see things only his analytical mind can see and if a player is picked to play it's for a very good reason. Retallick , Mo'Unga...vulnerable?....not.World class performance I'd say. Ireland...flat out of sorts..really?They were made to look ordinary because they were overwhelmed...or did they cling to the belief of the last 3 times.
One Eye
Roar Rookie
:shocked:
Nick
Guest
"Ireland by 3" was an outrageous and terrible "prediction" based on nothing relevant. World Cup form - NZ World Cup experience - NZ Rest - NZ Squad, including bench - NZ A prediction should be based on probability, not preferred outcome.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Well... damn, you kinda nailed the prediction there. Well done :thumbup:
Rach
Guest
:laughing:
David J-P
Guest
OK, so this is with the hindsight of having just watched the match. The next time I read that “there is something in the air” around a prediction as bad as this, I will seriously question whether that scent was from something illicit or not. That was a very impressive performance from the men in black. The challenge from Matilda’s Waltzers next week is one I am both very excited by and nervous from. England looked good against the Wallabies but I’m not sure that Eddie Jones has the wood over Steve Hansen in the same way that he was able to repeatedly get over Cheika. All Blacks by 12.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
Never a fan about chatting about the ref anyway, Moaman. I learnt my lesson from the traumatic 2007 experience :laughing: I imagine I will still be lurking around after the game to read your feedback on the rugby, hard to sleep after a big game!
moaman
Roar Guru
Enjoy the games mate and chat to you later (hopefully!) about the matches and not the Refs!
zubrick
Roar Rookie
the darkness to prevail easily.....nice practice for the semi's
One Eye
Roar Rookie
23 from 24 in the final 4 games in SR and something similar in the WC so far. The combination Reece and Bridge right the way through SR has been superb and if RM creates the opportunities to kick wide it could be devastating - more so as Ireland defend between the 15m lines whereas SA is the 5m lines.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
Good stuff, Moaman. Beautiful try that was at 5:00, where Mckenzie breaks out deep in AB territory opening up the defence, 3 tidy draw and passes, and finish from BB, Couldn't help thinking how much R Ioane has dropped form watching those highlights...
moaman
Roar Guru
Getting nervy with a few hours to kill? Here is 12 minutes well spent :silly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVCvKQljiwQ
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Blacks should win Everyone (except Kiwis) wants them to LOSE.
Mitch Graham
Guest
well it seems every man and his hairy dog has already written the All Blacks off. There prediction seems to be based on 2 wins the Irish have had before this tournament, not the fact that they have played like lost sheep in this tournament and been beaten by Japan. Not sure how that can be a good basis to form an opinion in their favour. Not to worry, he's my opinion based on current form and not past history the All Blacks will smother the Irish into a number of mistakes that will knock their confidence outta the stadium. The end result will be 36. 12 to AB's if the Irish give up in the 2nd half and the AB's bring on the bench early it will be to keep the foot on the throat, and the scoreline could end up in the late 40s' again to the AB's and "you can take that to the bank"
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
I missed the comments re Eddie O’Sullivan, but the amount of tries scored from gathering kicks by Mo’unga this year (including for the Crusaders), particularly from Reece, seems to fly in the face of that logic, and his goal kicking has been good ever since the tail end of this years SR too.
Jockstar
Guest
This will have a lot of spice but ab pack will get on top. Expect a few cards .
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
For mine, the AB's in a comfortable win in the end after a tight first 60 or so minutes with not much in it up to that point. The AB's nearly always lift a few gears when the business end of the tournament arises, and they typically do this in the last 20 minutes of their games. Also, it's rare that they have an off day at the office; it's possible of course, but I don't think Ireland have the firepower left in the tank after 60 minutes to either stay with the AB's or be able to put them away. Finally, I can't see the AB's not being fully locked and loaded for this match, and they'd have to have a shocker to lose it plus Ireland to play out of their skins for 80 minutes. The above is dependent on it being a 15 on 15 contest for the whole game.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Wait, it’s the ABs overly aggressive play that has caused a crack down? I though the ABs has bought and paid for the refs and that’s why they get away with everything? Selective memory on a few things too, the magnificent teams of ‘11 and ‘15 both lost the RC ahead of the World Cup, so losing to games pre-cup in a cup year doesn’t count for much.
moaman
Roar Guru
Me too Piney. A few of us have been saying for years that Barrett's play at 10 left a lot to be desired in terms of igniting a backline. There has never been any doubt about his credentials operating from the back or in open play.He's a frickin' genius. But his inability to stay square on to the defence and keep them guessing left whoever was playing outside him on a hiding to nothing.The much-maligned SBW bore the brunt of opposition defences. Mo'unga's belated introduction and the permanent shift of BB to 15 has changed the entire complexion of the attacking threat. The last time we had a backline like this was when Cruden was at the helm and Wayne Smith was still around imo. I'm not sure if you saw my post on the recent comments made by Eddie O'Sullivan describing Mo'unga as a potential weak link (especially his kicking game) but I happen to agree with you and will be interested to see how it all unfolds. "Interested" is a bit of an understatement actually! :silly:
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
Agree. I am looking forward to Mo'unga's kicking game in space, and I think the selection of ALB/Goodhue/Barrett/Reece/Bridge adds some devastating potential on the chase of those kicks, and a big reason for Hansen's selection of the backs. Ireland will be forced to plug the gaps deeper in defence, compromising the flat Irish defence, which in turn will open up the ABs to passing and making breaks through the line. I think that Ireland's biggest challenge is how they balance between managing the ABs with kicks into space and the challenging the line.