Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

‘Really confident’: Kirwan tips All Blacks to shine and picks World Cup ‘dark horse’

The All Blacks perform the haka during the The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 29, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Legendary All Black Sir John Kirwan is “really confident” that New Zealand will win the upcoming Rugby World Cup after overcoming fierce scrutiny and adversity.

ADVERTISEMENT

The All Blacks have hit their stride under Head Coach Ian Foster this year, and are now the bookmakers’ favourites to hoist the Webb Ellis Cup.

But the horror, disappointments, and rugby tragedies of the last 18 months may never be forgotten – and they shouldn’t be, either. It’s what made this All Blacks outfit who they are.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

The All Blacks shot out of the blocks in 2022 with a big win over northern hemisphere heavyweights Ireland at Eden Park. But a week is a long time in professional rugby.

Ireland bounced back with their first-ever win over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil, and repeated history in an enthralling series decider in Wellington.

Another loss to South Africa followed, which saw the All Blacks fall to a disastrous five losses from six Tests. All Blacks fans wanted Crusaders coach Scott Robertson on speed dial as they called for a change.

But New Zealand Rugby stuck by their man, 53 weeks ago today, with coach Foster remaining in the All Blacks’ hot seat through to the end of the World Cup.

Related

ADVERTISEMENT

Under Foster, and with assistants Joe Schmidt and Jason Ryan in support, the All Blacks look like world-beaters this year. They’ve begun to right the wrongs of yesteryear, but it all comes down to this.

The Rugby World Cup is just two weeks away.

“I’m really confident and I’m confident for a reason,” former All Blacks wing Sir John Kirwan told RugbyPass in London.

“Normally we play incredibly well and have no crisis or very little crisis from one World Cup to the next, then we lose the World Cup and we go into crisis.

“This time there was no crisis after the last World Cup, there was one 18 months ago. There are some incredible things that happened. I think adversity has brought this team closer together.

ADVERTISEMENT

“World Cups are unpredictable, but I think we’ve got an incredibly good chance to win it along with France, along with South Africa and along with Ireland, and there’ll be a couple of surprise packages in there.

“I’ve been to enough World Cups to know that you can prepare as much as you want but it’s gonna throw you the unexpected.”

The All Blacks are in Pool A along with tournament hosts France, Italy, Uruguay and Namibia. Both New Zealand and France are expected to progress.

But the most interesting pool might actually involve Eddie Jones’ Wallabies. Australian fans have rejoiced in the fact that their team is on the ‘easier side’ of the draw.

Winning has proved hard to come by for Jones’ men, sure, but a potential quarter-final date with Argentina, Japan or possibly England awaits the Wallabies.

But they’ll have to get there, first.

The Wallabies are in Pool C with Wales, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal. Four of those teams make up the nations ranked eight through 11 on World Rugby’s men’s rankings – Australia, Fiji, Wales and Georgia.

Progressing through to the knockout rounds is both daunting and exciting.

Sitting next to Sir John Kirwan on Thursday, the 1987 Rugby World Cup winner hinted at the possibility of Australia bowing out early as he picked his “dark horse” to make it out of the group.

“Fiji. Fiji, mate. Fiji. Fiji. Fiji,” Kirwan added. “I don’t know if Wales go home (before the knockout stage).

“I think Fiji are really the dark horse just to get out of the pool.”

Kiwis can stream the Rugby World Cup on Sky Sport Now.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

17 Comments
M
Mike 607 days ago

So Kirwan got it right , ( not the first time either) need to know which team he has for the trophy so I can put money on that pick.

F
Francois 608 days ago

Kirwan needs to focus on his mental health issues, he is clearly undermedicated again.

E
Euan 608 days ago

Shine like obsidian.... Get on South Africa now ($6).

P
Pecos 609 days ago

All of these "confident" hot air articles are scary. Just stfu & let the boys do their talking on the paddock ffs. Cheers for that.

K
KiwiSteve 610 days ago

After the Rugby Champion 🏆 NZ will win. Scotland will beat Ireland in the pool and qualify.

d
dave 610 days ago

So true. Both Wales and Australia are tier two nations. As long as Fiji don't get a six nations ref they should walk through. Unless world rugby has told the refs to make sure they don't.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Julio Langworth 49 minutes ago
'Individuals are stepping up': Vern Cotter on Beauden Barrett's influence

In 2024, I received a substantial tax refund, which I saw as a golden opportunity to improve my financial situation. Eager to invest, I became interested in Bitcoin, a digital currency that many believe represents the future of finance. Unfortunately, my excitement led me to a fraudulent company that promised incredible returns on investments. Their persuasive tactics and seemingly legitimate operations drew me in, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had been deceived, and my hard-earned money $572,000 had vanished.Feeling devastated and hopeless after losing such a significant amount, I reached out to a friend who had faced a similar ordeal. They recommended a company called GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , which specializes in recovering lost Bitcoin. Although I was skeptical, my desperation pushed me to contact them for help.From the very first interaction with GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was impressed by their understanding and willingness to help. Their team guided me through the recovery process, providing the support I needed during this challenging time. They explained each step clearly and kept me informed throughout the entire journey. Their dedication rekindled my hope of recovering my lost funds.Thanks to the diligent efforts of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES , I was able to reclaim my stolen Bitcoin. This experience not only restored my financial situation but also taught me invaluable lessons about the importance of conducting thorough research before making any investments. I now have a solid investment strategy in place and am much more cautious about where I allocate my funds.I want to emphasize the importance of being vigilant in the world of cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin offers tremendous potential as an investment, it also attracts scammers looking to exploit unsuspecting individuals. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a trustworthy recovery service like GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES .Investing in Bitcoin can be a rewarding venture, but it is crucial to approach it with caution. Always perform comprehensive research and remain skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true,but if fallen victim to scam a GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES is available for you.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

3 Go to comments
F
Flankly 57 minutes ago
How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Nick - thanks for another good piece.


It’s remarkable that Matt Williams gets so upset about Bomb Squad tactics. He’s not just making recommendations, but getting all sweaty about bench splits. But it’s not really about bench splits. He just does not like forwards, and their role in the game.


I thought this quote was telling:

What about Kitshoff, what happened to his spine in South Africa? Do we know if that is as a result of the scrummaging they are put through?

Ouch. So we are really on a program of reducing scrummaging to reduce spinal injuries? That’s the mission? And based on the statistically significant dataset of one case, a case in which he openly admits that he does not have the details. Regardless, if his goal is to reduce spinal injuries for prop forwards then arguing about bench splits seems like an odd place to start.


It’s not just spinal injuries that he cares about. The risk of paralysis is an important issue, and he raises this too:

I’m a bit of a lone voice but, because of my club-mate Grant Harper (ex-Western Suburbs prop who was paralysed after a collapsed scrum), I’m not shutting up on it.

Injuries are horrible, and paralysis is truly awful. We should absolutely take it very seriously, and diligently implement whatever safety protocols and education programs we can to minimize these things. But we don’t ban skydiving or hang gliding, or crossing the road. Though Williams is not looking to ban rugby, he does seem to be intent on reducing the role of forwards in the game, based on entirely anecdotal data.


It’s hard to tell what it’s all about. He makes this supposed safety case and says that no-one in his echo chamber disagrees with him:

Every time I go out, old forwards and old props go up to me and they say, ‘you’re right’. I’ve never had anyone, apart from a few South Africans – because it’s good for South Africa – say it’s rubbish.

It’s weird that “old props” are hanging around his front door and lobbying him, or maybe he just doesn’t “go out” much. Could it be that all of the hand-wringing about bench splits and scrummaging injuries is really a proxy for something else? Is it possible his issue is not about safety at all?


Well, that is what it seems. For me the truth is in this comment:

Can Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Argentina compete against South Africa, New Zealand and France if that’s the way the game goes? The answer to that is no.

So, this is the real issue for him. The Bomb Squad tactic is a really good one, and you have to be really good to play against it. Or you should try to de-power it by banning it, wailing about injuries that it supposedly causes (it doesn’t) and clutching at anecdotal straws to make your case.


The above quote is an insult to the five countries named, and it also suggests that no-one is going to be smart enough to come up with a game plan that neutralizes the bomb squad or turns it to a relative weakness. Williams is just a noisy fan looking to change the laws to favor his team and his personal tastes.


I agree with your conclusions. This Rassie approach is far from being unfair to backs. Not only does it favor fleet-footed and versatile “skills players” in the double-digit positions, but each individual gets more game time in any given match.


Whenever I go out I get exactly zero “old backs” coming up to me and complaining about the Bomb Squad tactic.


Bravo, Rassie.

194 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock
Search