Beauden Barrett admits revenge a motivation against likely QF opponents
All Blacks stand-off cum fullback Beauden Barrett has admitted the prospect of revenge against potential quarter-final opponents Ireland is part of the mix.
New Zealand drubbed Uruguay 73-0 victory in Pool A at OL Stadium on Thursday, sealing a Rugby World Cup quarter-final spot for Ian Foster's side. If France beat Italy tonight in Lille, then the All Blacks will potentially face Ireland in the quarters, provided Andy Farrell's men can battle past Scotland in Paris tomorrow night.
Ireland beat the All Blacks for the first time on New Zealand soil last year and also won their first-ever series against the men in black, coming away 2-1 winners in what was an unprecedented moment for Irish rugby. It was also - needless to say - an incredibly dark moment in the annals of New Zealand rugby.
It's still only theoretical but the revenge carrot is a motivation according to Barrett.
"We learned a lot during that series [the 2022 series loss to Ireland in New Zealand]. It was a challenging time, some of the most challenging times we've faced as an All Black team and personally, losing a series in our backyard. But what we know is the beast that Ireland are and if you allow them to dictate up front and play they want they want to, they are a tough team to stop.
"So if it's Ireland in the quarter-finals it's going to be great because there's a lot of us who are pretty keen to get one up on them and still hurting from what happened last year."
Ireland did however beat Ireland relatively comfortably in the quarter-final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, so there's that.
"Yes, there's memories there. The game's changed somewhat since that so it's all on the day. It's all about who turns up on the day, we learned that in the semi-final last World Cup. You've just got to be able to maintain that intensity for three test matches when it comes to the knock-out rugby.
"It takes a full squad, team effort. Everyone's got to be fully onboard and every decision from here on in until kick-off is for the benefit of the team and to give ourselves the best shot. Looking to 2015, there was a lot of positives. Each knock-out game was so different to another and it was the same in Japan and Tokyo - the contrast between a dominant performance against Ireland and then a team who were eyeing us for a while in England and stunned us a little. We're not looking anywhere past the quarter-final, whoever it is because that's our final at this stage."
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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