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Sam Bruce, espn.com.au Deputy Editor
PARIS — Already the first All Blacks team to lose in a Rugby World Cup pool match, coach Ian Foster’s side will advance to Saturday’s quarter-finals despite knowing they are likely to take a long hit. They insist the “fear factor” will not be a motivator ahead of the final against Ireland, which they will lose.
The countdown to the greatest quarter-final clash in World Cup history has begun. This is no exaggeration considering what’s at stake and the different stories surrounding both teams individually and the match itself.
Ireland faces two histories. The Emerald Isle have never reached the semi-finals of a World Cup, but a win at the Stade de France on Saturday night would equal a Tier 1 record of 18 consecutive Test wins.
Meanwhile, New Zealand know that any upcoming defeat will likely end Foster’s four-year managerial tenure and spell the end for Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and the storied international careers of Sam Whitelock and the next three years of their storied international careers. ing. At least Richie Mo’unga.
The All Blacks under Foster were certainly not the dominant team they were under Steve Hansen or Graham Henry. He has overseen an ignominious opening series defeat to Ireland in the opening series last year and two defeats to Argentina in 2022, including a loss on home soil.
But manager Jason Ryan and assistants Aaron Smith and Rico Ioane said the fear that New Zealand could end up being the “worst team in World Cup history” was not motivating and instead focused on the legacy of the black jersey. They agreed that they decided to focus on the need for preservation. It moves forward.
Asked about Sean Fitzpatrick’s comments, Ryan said one of his main motivations as All Blacks captain was the fear of losing: “That’s a strong question.”
“The All Blacks jersey means a lot to us and we’ve talked a lot about the tradition of the black jersey and what it means. You think about guys like Sean Fitzpatrick? He probably ignited the All Blacks jersey and its tradition.” He did it.
“So are we afraid of failure? No. But do we embrace tradition and what we want to achieve? Yes, and we get excited about it and walk toward it.”
Outside back Ioane, playing in his second World Cup, echoed his assistant coach’s sentiments and said he was ready to embrace the positive energy and excitement for what was to come.
“As Jace touched on, we are never afraid of losing,” Ioane said. “And even if we have doubts about our beliefs, it remains unwavering because we know what we have in this group.
“So for me personally, the fear of losing never crosses my mind… Just the energy that’s in this group, growing with each other, and that’s enough motivation. We’re drinking the glass half full. “I don’t like “an empty way of looking at things.” ”
Like Retallick and Whitelock, scrum-half Smith will also end his Test career whenever the All Blacks leave France. For the veteran No. 9, that could equal two World Cup wins, a fitting title for a player who is one of the all-time great halfbacks of his generation.
Smith has pretty much experienced all of that during his time with the All Blacks, and after last year’s lackluster season that nearly cost Foster his job, Smith has experienced hypothetical criticism and negative “tags” that could cost the team extra-base hits. He also said that he is embracing the excitement rather than “. What if they lose?
“My energy is focused on the opportunity in front of me, the excitement of what we can control as a group,” Smith told reporters. “If you’re trapped by the weight of your past, you won’t be able to do anything, you won’t be able to play well, you won’t be able to do anything because you’re scared, you won’t be able to try or believe.”
“We’re free, we’re energized with intention, and we have a lot of intention and desire this weekend, so I don’t think we have that kind of burden or statistic or weight on us. This is a world for us. It’s the cup final and we’re ready to go.”
Ryan confirmed prop Tyrell Lomax will be considered for selection after successfully training on Tuesday. That means the All Blacks will have two first-choice front row players back in action for the first time since their tough loss to the Springboks at Twickenham in August.
There are expected to be few surprises in the All Blacks line-up, with Scott Barrett likely to pair with Retallick in the second row and Marc Teller expected to thwart Leicester Fainghanuk on the left wing. There is.
All Blacks to announce team name on Thursday night [CET].
Asked about the All Blacks losing the second and third Tests in Dunedin and Wellington respectively, and losing the series at home to Ireland last year with a 2-1 win, Smith also said: , denied that revenge was the driving force.
“Last year was important in terms of applying lessons, but I believe we are a completely different team than we were last July,” he said.
“We’ve got a new coach and as a group, this series has really energized us. I can’t wait to see what happens.”
