Jeff Wilson: On the All Blacks new found rivalry with Ireland

Former All Black Jeff Wilson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the upcoming test match on Saturday morning. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncie Wildergrave
from News Talks, that'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
If you're talking more welcomes. I'm pretty sure that the
All Blacks, when they get to have the stadium little
bit more than that. There's certainly some heat in this contest.
Now we know the rivalry over the last five, six,
seven years, and now I think it's it's sort of
almost expected. You know, Island have been one of the
best teams in the world over the last few years.
They've proven that time and time again. And when they

(00:35):
came to New Zealand and my series here for the
first time, it's almost like in their own here that
have conquered the beast, and their expectations are now that
they can do any any time they like. And a
lot happened last year, in particular Rugy World Cup with
my Lord. I tell you what this game is going
to have. It's going to have plenty of it because
for them, we're are to a massive point.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Have they been carrying that defeat right the way through
to your things that lived rent free in your head?
To use a popular.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Term, Yeah, I think that's sort of thing. Does the
look I can talk from an experience, you know, when
there are games that live with you until you get
an opportunity to play that team again. So that's what
Island have been waiting for. Their fans have been waiting
for it. And you know, they'll be looking back at
what happened in the quarter final of the World Cup
and no one expected that. They thought they'd find a

(01:25):
way to beat the All Blacks and you know now
they've got to wait, you know, more more time to
get to that lever again and they have to go
through the All Blacks again, and so you know, I
just think there's just so many players that are involved
in it, and there's enough of this All Black team
to know what to expect. And like I say, this
has become one of our great tussles. Now, I don't
think this is going to go away for a very

(01:47):
long time.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
When you look at result wise, you say, this shouldn't
be a great tussle, but recent history is what sticks
in our mind. And the Iris, now, as you mentioned,
genuinely believe they're on even footing with us. Do we
have that same fear of them though?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, I think we do. I think we do truly
respect them and we sort of know that you know
the way that they play the game, and they have evolved.
They have got better, you know under Pharrell Joe Smith
did an unbelievable job. But then you know Pharaoh's taken
them to the next level and they know that, you know,
all facets of the game, I holand have got better,

(02:27):
have improved. They can match the All Blacks up front there, forward,
back is incredibly powerful. Their scramage really well. They're great
around the park, skill sets strong. So you know, all
the things that I think that the or Blacks like
to do, they do just as well now. And so
this is why I think for the All Blacks, they
know how tough it's going to be. And look at

(02:48):
the Orbocks are going into this game with a few
guys missing through injury, so they'll be they'll be at
the underdog, you know, and some young players are going to,
I think, get a real fast education about what it's
like to play a Northern Hemisphere team away in their
own house.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Wouldn't you look at the iron in their approach to this,
not on the field, but off the field, and there
was antagonism. I think that's a fair thing to say.
Through books, through voices, and through history last five to
ten years anyway, do you think maybe everybody thinks that
around the all Blacks, but the Irish are the only
one's brave enough to actually say it.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
It's a really it's a really good question. I'm not
sure I've been really impressed. You know. I was at
the two test metters here in New Zealand and England
played the hall Backs and even saw on the weekend.
You know, you get the senses of real respect between
those two teams, and you know there's nothing going on
and behind the scenes, they compete and they play hard,
and you know, I just you know, I think it's

(03:48):
just this runs a little bit deeper, you know, and
there's been some rivalries, and there's been things that have
been said, you know, during games and after games, which
you know, it's just added fuel to the fire for
both teams. You know, I think there's a respect in
terms of how each other can play the game, but
in terms of the fact that this is I suppose
bragging rights, trying to set a standard and trying to

(04:10):
you know, I suppose say, you might be the number
one team in the world, but we're good enough to
go out there and compete and perform, and look, we
are still the All Backs.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
They wilted under the pressure of the quarter final. What
do they take out of that They're going to reapply
or or leave behind in this game coming up on
Saturday morning. Because the pressure of that game it squashed them.
They're at home in front of a rampant crowd. Can
they respond on the same way? Will that pressure squash them?
What could they learn?

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah? Look, I think you know, I was at that
game last year, and I think, out of respect for
both teams, both teams played out standing on the day,
Like the All Backs had comfortably their best performance off
the season and at the Rocky World Cup. You know,
they played a couple of other games where they were dominant,
but that was a flight against arguably the number one
team in the world. Like, that's what you were they

(05:02):
were up against. So as much as they wilted under
the pressure, Look, you know, the last what four and
a half minutes of play where you know you've got
two seams, one not giving away a penalty in the
other team not making a mistake, I think actually showed
exactly how good they are. So I think from my perspective,
you know, Islands at home though, No that they are

(05:22):
good enough. They've done it before in recent units. They've
got over the hurdle. They've done what they've never done
before when they came to New Zealand. So I don't
think it's wilting under the pressure. I think it's actually,
in some ways it's just them doing what they've done,
not just once, but numerous occasions. They've actually delivered under pressure.
They've just got to do it again, and they've actually

(05:42):
got the weight of numbers and supporters behind them. So
I think that's why they clearly are favorites going into
the game.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
Former All Blake broadcaster Jeff Wilson that joins us. Let's
talk about the bad guy, Let's talk about Nigal. Let's
talk about people antagonizing each other. That helps the rivalry.
I don't know if we get that with South Africa,
but they're not afraid to come forward and have a crack.
They the ares and that's got to increase the energy

(06:09):
around the fact for all concerned.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
Yeah, look, I suppose it's it's sometimes you know, the
biggest turtle playing against the All Blacks is the mental hurt.
And you know, and you just talked about dealing with
the pressure. I think that's that's where Island sort of
got to with the game. And they had a lot
of players who for a long long time hadn't been
able to get over that and had had long careers,
and Johnson and sex and clearlyes that that guy and

(06:34):
has led that team. But what they've done you this
season and transitioning through that, they've still kept their identity.
We all wondered whether or not that same fire would
be there. Well, it's certainly still there, and the quality
is certainly still there, and the belief, most importantly is
still there. So in terms of that that legel, sometimes
you need what you know, what you need to do

(06:56):
to get yourself mentally in that state where you are
going to be able to compete. And for them, for Island,
I think it's a bit of that is the fact
that they go out and they do posture a little bit.
I'm not saying they're arrogant. What I'm doing saying is
the fact that they put themselves in the position to
try and mentally put the team under pressure.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Jeef, how do you think Akira Yoanni is going to
respond to this? Because he's really been the eye of
the storm after what happened in the World Cup last year,
there's been a lot at her and might expect the
crowd will remind them is he the player that will
rise to this occasion or again will the thought process
the pressure buckle them?

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Now? I think I think everyone's going to rise to
this occasion. I really do, you know. I think across
the board, you know, you think about the experience and
the All Blacks, the players who have still felt some
hurt but also have got great satisfaction that happened last year.
I think each individual these guys, you know, I'm expecting
to see the best of everyone. That the challenge will

(07:54):
be for, Like I say, the number of young All
Blacks that are going to be involved in this test match,
is how they deal with that preature, not just from
the opposition but from the crowd, you know, Asafa to
Mighty Williams. You know, probably super VI if you can
get to the start line. These guys with huge responsibilities

(08:14):
and key pivotal positions. Clearly Damian McKenzie looks as though
he's going to be in the teen jersey, So you
know when you start looking at that, I mean that
it's actually those guys. I think because I know I've
got a pretty good sense of what we're going to
get from Ireland. I think they've been the most consistent
team if you go across world rugby, they've probably been
the most consistent team over the last couple of years.
You know, you just know that the quality in every

(08:36):
game that they haven't quite won enough been right there.
That's why I think you know that the All Blacks
will have to have to deal with you know, and
I think individuals, you know, I've got just got a
sense that, you know, all of the key players who
have been the key players in these games before.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
I think they'll all deliver pressure points. Because I'm not
saying that the All Blacks are immune, because they're not.
They could crumble too. Are there any areas where you
think they will have pressure exerted on them by the Irish?
You mentioned the youth's possible, there is there any other
aspect where maybe there might be a little gossamer.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Thin I think if you're talking about the best team
attack in the world, it's Island. I mean, if you
across the ball, whatn't have done in the last two
to three years is what you've seen from them as
an outstanding structural play and the great decision making and
their ability who actually creates space, their movement off the
ball is so very very good. And so the All

(09:32):
Blacks defense, multi phase defense, is going to be attested.
The decision making defensively about who you're targeting, who you're
tackling when you push off players, that's what's going to
be put under pressure. And I think, you know, even
South Africa have found ways to put the All Black
defense under pressure because what they do do is they've
got great ability out of the breakdown to get momentum
going forward. They're clean out, their accuracy, their support players

(09:54):
really really good. When they start going four, five, six phases,
you are stressed and you are stretched, and if you
make poor decisions on the inside channel, you'll get hurt. Conversely,
if you bite into too much, they can get the
board of the outside like this is that's probably me.
That's their biggest weapon, their greatest strength. They've formed and

(10:15):
created something that all teams have struggled to deal with.
When they get some momentum, you know, when their halves,
their inside start to really create and they start to
try and phone space on the outsides, they look really good.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
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