New Zealand Herald journalist Chris Rattue was on Monday’s OTB AM sharing his concern that the All Blacks will be vulnerable against Ireland.
Last August, Rattue said that he couldn’t see anyone but New Zealand winning the Rugby World Cup but his confidence has been shaken by his country’s recent form.
“A lot has happened in the last year or so. The All Blacks aren’t really that unbeatable outfit any more.
“I think the build-up for them over the past month hasn’t turned out to be all that good.
“By the time they take the field against Ireland it will be a month since they’ve had a decent game and I think that plays into Ireland’s hands a bit,” Rattue said.
The reigning world champions had their final pool game against Italy cancelled as a result of Typhoon Hagibis hitting Japan on Saturday evening.
While New Zealand’s head coach Steve Hansen said he believed it would work in his side’s favour, Rattue is concerned that the team will be undercooked.
“What you’ll find with all the coaches now is they’re going to be talking positive, aren’t they?
“I heard Eddie Jones speaking in a similar manner about England having its last pool game cancelled and he sounded positively in party mode about it. I just don’t believe it.
“A game gives you things you can never get out of a training run. Even if the training runs these days can be very physical,” Rattue commented.
Inconsistent performances from all the contenders so far
While the All Blacks have won their three games at the World Cup so far, Rattue hasn’t been entirely convinced by their form.
However, he felt that the same applies to all the main contenders for this year’s tournament and that only the hosts have played to the best of their abilities.
“I think the one team who has shown what it’s really got and put all its cards out in the air and played to its absolute level is Japan.
“I think all the other sides who are in the quarter-finals have got this up and down thing going on.
“None of the big guns are really going into the quarter-finals in tip-top condition. There’s a bit of doubt over all of them.
“They’ve had up and down tournaments, including the All Blacks. That’s the way this tournament has evolved," Rattue said.
The knock-out stages of the Rugby World Cup begins this weekend and Ireland will be hoping to be one of the four sides that make it through to the semi-finals.
They take on New Zealand at Tokyo Stadium this Saturday, October 19th at 11.15am Irish time.
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