Billy Vunipola retained on bench as Saracens make four XV changes

Turning a Super Rugby game into a test is a pretty good way of making money which the NZRU needs.

I don’t think there will be an ANZAC test until the money is right for the NZRU.

You see, this is the disrespect I am talking about. NZ immediately started this character assasination on Irish rugby after the series win “about a year and a half” before the RWC. We win in NZ and suddenly we are arrogant. Do you consider this respectful?

And please substantiate Ireland talking themselves up comment: for every supposed instance of this there is surely 100x examples of NZ talking themselves up?

We were ranked 1, but that’s not talking ourselves up. We were playing good rugby.

Re the QF: that was a one score match: if you say we ‘choked’ you are really saying that Ireland were the better team but pressure got to them on the day? That is demeaning to your own team and another example of disrespect to Ireland.

New Zealand:

-NZ’s year long prep included a wall defence that Ireland had not seen until the match.

-Insights on all players strenghts and weaknesses. The scrum coach said that he had communicated several times with Barnes about Porter. He also noted when Barnes was looking at Porter he was NOT looking at the NZ front row.

-A favourable draw meaning NZ would play Ireland in a QF, where Ireland would not have a knock out win under their belt.

-A (another) favourable scheduling meant that NZ could focus on the QF literally after the France match and focus on Ireland after they beat SA in the pool.

Ireland:

-Unfavourable draw: have to play the triple world cup champions with players having multi RWC knock out match winning caps in the QF, when Ireland DONT want to play a top 4 team.

-Unfavourable schedule: Have to play world no 5 Scotland 6-7 days before the quarter. Have to prepare for this which compares unfavourably with NZs schedule (Uruguay 9 days before QF). Both wingers get injured with no time to recover.

-Match: went 13-0 down but came back. Try held up brilliantly by Barrett and last play of the match saw Ireland move from their own 10 metre line to 10 metres from the NZ line.

Jordan himself said that the NZ line was retreating and someone needed to do something which was Whitelock.

Ireland died with their boots on. You saw the reaction from NZ after the whistle. Claiming Ireland choked is disrespectful to NZ and to a great rugby match. It is also indicative of the disrespect shown by NZ and fans to Ireland since 2022. We saw it in some NZ players having a go at Irish players and supporters after the whistle. Is that respect?

Using Galthie’s maths and extrapolating the numbers, going to NZ would put Cros at 1700 minutes, Antonio at 1300, and LBB at 2200. 2200 is a perfectly fine number for a back to be at considering it’s what Marcus Smith and Freeman will do/did, while Itoje had 2500 minutes last season.

Immediately after the series win, a lot of claims of ‘arrogance’ started emanating from NZ media and behind the scenes from NZ players. You do not get respect for beating NZ. You get the opposite. The big countries are suppose to set the example. Attempting to character assassinate an improving nation is not such an example.

So before all the theorizing on France’s failures lets try to have a fair draw and scheduling and an even playing field. Making 3 finals and knocking NZ out twice is not bad when you are constantly made play against the wind.