NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

All Blacks: Expect a Blacklash

Wynne Gray
By Wynne Gray
NZ Herald·
22 Jun, 2012 05:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Richie McCaw making a break against Ireland. Photo / Greg Bowker.

Richie McCaw making a break against Ireland. Photo / Greg Bowker.

Take a poll of your mates, ask at the rugby club or tune into the nation's bookmakers - there is a consensus that the All Blacks will beat the Irish soundly in tonight's final test in Hamilton.

It is not an opinion delivered by blind Freddies or a cyclopsian crowd, more an assessment of the merits of two sides at contrasting points of their season and development.

Ireland brought a much sounder edge to their play last week when they narrowed their focus to the polar conditions and committed themselves to their plan.

They shook the All Blacks, got the jump on them and forced them into errors as they chased the match.

It gave a wilting series a reprieve and opened up more discussion as both teams tinkered with their selections for the third contest.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ireland have done this before, put the frighteners on the men in black but then felt a backlash in the next contest.

Twenty years ago, Laurie Mains' side scraped home 24-21 at Carisbrook before whomping Ireland 59-6 a week later.

"Last week was very much like our test in Carisbrook where the All Blacks were not complacent but they were off their best," he said, "and that subliminally affected their attitude.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We had new men come in like Olo Brown and Robin Brooke and that added a lot of enthusiasm back into our game.

"The scare of the week before put all the experienced players on edge and they knew they could not produce another average game."

Mains has been impressed with Ireland and especially their ability to combine ferocity and accuracy in their forwards.

They were a strong side, even when they were shorn of some good players and he expected them to offer sustained problems and resistance.

Discover more

Opinion

Wynne Gray: Tough test will help to define leadership

21 Jun 05:30 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks: Time will tell if attitude has improved - McCaw

22 Jun 04:41 AM
All Blacks

All Blacks: Back up talent every coach's dream

22 Jun 05:30 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks: Forwards focus on blips

22 Jun 05:30 PM

However, he thought the All Blacks would be far more motivated, accurate and urgent tonight and would, eventually, deliver a "comfortable" victory.

A decade on from Mains' initiation, John Mitchell's men battled to a 15-6 win at Carisbrook against Ireland then opened their attacking ports to win 40-8 at Eden Park.

It was tougher for Graham Henry's men in 2006 when they found repeat resistance from the touring Irish.

Richie McCaw was the new skipper and his Grand Slam men held on for a 34-23 win in Hamilton then a 27-17 victory at Eden Park.

Those sorts of margins are being touted once more with weather gremlins threatening to enter the landscape tonight.

Ireland have lost their impressive No 8 Jamie Heaslip who brings such energy and conviction with his play but if anything, they have stoked up their backs with Paddy Wallace into midfield and Keith Earls fit again on the wing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They will also be buoyed that their tormentor Daniel Carter is missing from the All Blacks, that without his computer game management and temperament, the hosts can be disrupted.

Fair assumption but Aaron Cruden's game has moved on considerably from his rough start and he would be the starting five-eighths for most international sides.

He knows Waikato Stadium well, he understands the nuances of Sonny Bill Williams outside him as well as anyone, he usually runs and attacks more than Carter.

The All Blacks want to increase the tempo from last week, adjust their accuracy and for that to occur, they need quick, quality ball from the forwards.

Scrums have to tighten, support play from a new loose trio of Sam Cane, Liam Messam and McCaw must impose their recycling help, the attitude needs to click up a gear.

Coach Steve Hansen mentioned the rise in edge this week and how "Ireland did us a huge favour" last weekend.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

That comment suggests the coaches, selectors and players all got a tune-up, so by mid-evening we can judge theory against reality, while Ireland will rate themselves against history.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
All Blacks

New All Blacks squad: The four rookies who could get call-up

21 Jun 11:01 PM
Premium
Analysis

Liam Napier: Super Rugby final redemption and agony in equal measures

21 Jun 09:56 AM
Rugby|npc

Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

21 Jun 12:00 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
New All Blacks squad: The four rookies who could get call-up

New All Blacks squad: The four rookies who could get call-up

21 Jun 11:01 PM

As many as four rookies could force their way into Scott Robertson's All Blacks squad.

Premium
Liam Napier: Super Rugby final redemption and agony in equal measures

Liam Napier: Super Rugby final redemption and agony in equal measures

21 Jun 09:56 AM
Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

Ex-All Black tells of surviving 'terminal' cancer and battling brother for black jersey

21 Jun 12:00 AM
Premium
Liam Napier: Where the Chiefs could edge the Crusaders in Super Rugby final

Liam Napier: Where the Chiefs could edge the Crusaders in Super Rugby final

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP