As the previous seven days in Irish sport proved, once again, it is best not to get ahead of ourselves even when it is bucketing down with praise.
Following Ireland’s 38-3 dismantling of his South Africa, Allister Coetzee doubled down on his claim that Ireland were ‘the All Blacks of the North’.
Joe Schmidt had selected an Ireland team that [2013 and 2017 tours combined] contained 11 British & Irish Lions. The four men from that starting XV that have not had the Lions privilege yet – Jacob Stocakdale, Andrew Conway, Devin Toner and Bundee Aki – all had fine games as the Boks were torn asunder.
One week later and Schmidt was able to make 13 changes, completely rest six of those Lions, and see off Fiji. It proved a tougher task than most expected but the hosts recorded their sixth win on the spin.
Following the 23-20 result, Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo was the latest rugby name to compare Ireland to the All Blacks. New Zealand are the best team in the world, he reasoned, but Ireland are not far off.
When your son meets one of his favourite players, thanks @nemani_nadolo for your time tonight & well played. pic.twitter.com/XAGOfkovbu
— Rory Best (@RoryBest2) November 18, 2017
The talk is certainly appreciated but Schmidt will be keen to get his players grounded and that begins in earnest at Carton House this morning. “We can show them footage and learn from that,” the Ireland coach said after the game. For some, it won’t be pretty viewing.
But the time for experimenting is over. Schmidt now has six games ahead in which he will want to select immensely strong teams. There may be a fresh face for a couple of matches [ie: Italy at home] but Schmidt will want Ireland to stretch their winning run to 12 before, next summer, they jet off to Australia.
That starts with the visit of Argentina, to Dublin, on Saturday. There will be a lot of revenge talk this week – Argentina soundly beat Ireland in their last encounter, at the 2015 World Cup – but much of it will be media generated and dead-batted by the players and coaching staff.
Amongst themselves, though, Ireland will be eager to right that Millennium Stadium wrong. Ireland were without Peter O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton and the suspended Sean O’Brien that day but such is the turnover in professional rugby that only seven of the starting XV that day are expected to start this weekend at the Aviva Stadium.
Get over the line against Argentina and Ireland’s main task is dead ahead. It is the one that will define whether in fact this side can look to challenge New Zealand for their World Cup title in 2019.
Ireland have three home games in the 2018 Six Nations and Schmidt will make winning it his priority. Many of the men that helped deliver the 2014 and 2015 championships have since retired or have found themselves on the outside, looking in, while the coach crafts a new team and tweaks their playing style.
The current crop need to develop that ruthless, winning mentality and England are currently on the perch. Eddie Jones’ men need to be bested if Ireland are to live up to the claim that it is New Zealand, them and then the rest.
It should be a fascinating few months ahead.
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