Former Leinster and Connacht out-half Andy Dunne would rather Ireland learned something about New Zealand and lose than revert to their old playing style.
Ireland beat New Zealand for the first time in 2016. They ran away with the game 40-29.
While they didn't play expansive, off-the-cuff rugby, they weren't repressive with the ball either. Ireland hadn't yet resorted to one-out runners and the scared mentality that ruined Joe Schmidt's final years. They had in 2018. That was when Ireland beat New Zealand for the second time, 16-9.
Scorelines can be misleading. Ireland scoring 40 points then 16 doesn't automatically mean they were less exciting to watch. But they were less exciting to watch.
More importantly, they were completely reliant on their power game. There was no ambition with the ball and no Plan B if Plan A didn't work. That is how New Zealand got their revenge at the 2019 World Cup. Andy Dunne remembers those games all too well.
He joined Wednesday Night Rugby this week.
Dunne is was previewing this weekend's game between the two nations, but had to start by looking back at their last outings against each other.
"How we beat the All Blacks that day was one or two brilliantly thought out set piece plays," Dunne said.
"And then this wild level of physicality and commitment to the breakdown. [We had] great accuracy at the breakdown, making sure we held onto possession for long periods of time. And having an incredibly aggressive defensive line. So they're all great things in isolation but that became a pattern of play we became well-known for.
"Ultimately it was our downfall."
Ireland lost to New Zealand by 32 points at the World Cup. It wasn't just a loss. It was a devastating result where nothing changed and New Zealand knew what to do. New Zealand lost to England by a similar score in the next round, so Ireland couldn't claim they lost to a great All Black team.
It was always unrealistic for Schmidt to think Ireland could sustain that level of intensity over so many years.
Against Japan, Ireland played a completely different way.
"Anthony Eddy has been out in front of any mild success in women's rugby, it's all we, we, we. He's talking about they and them in that."
"Women's rugby is not equal. It's not on par."
Gordon D'Arcy is very frustrated with Anthony Eddy's interview.@VodafoneIreland #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/Q7xDiHxK48
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) November 10, 2021
"I would really like to see us play the same way we did against Japan. Lose maybe by 10-15 points, but having learned more about how we're going to approach the All Blacks if we play them in the next World Cup."
Ireland coaches typically don't plan out for a World Cup. The IRFU values winning in the Six Nations, so coaches need to be result-oriented. They also value winning high-profile Nations League games. Farrell picked his strongest available team against Japan. He'll do the same against New Zealand and maybe make some changes for Argentina.
But Dunne appreciates how Farrell is approaching his team so far.
"He must be the first Irish manager in the history of Irish rugby who come out two years ahead of a World Cup and said why can't we talk about winning a World Cup. He said it on record a couple of weeks back. It was so refreshing. It was so refreshing to hear an Irish coach put his head above the parapet and not say the next game is the one that matters.
Dunne notes that every time Ireland fails at a World Cup, we revert back to the bureaucracy that creates no meaningful change.
"We haven't actually tried to change meaningfully in the intervening years. He's actually trying to change how we play, along with Mike Catt, Paul O'Connell, John Fogarty. There's a real clarity. There's a real distinctive change in their approach.
"That would be my preferred way to play, not to abandon that just because it's the All Blacks for fear of a loss.
"I'd rather us give it a go. It's ultimately a friendly."
Ireland no longer need to rely on Jonathan Sexton
Team of Us. Everyone In.
Vodafone. The main sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team
