The All Blacks did their job as Ireland suffered from their own ineptitude

My wife was clicking through the TV channels on Sunday night and stumbled upon a promo.

A newsreader was exhorting us to tune in after the break to get action and reaction from one of the greatest performances in All Blacks history.

I can’t say we bothered.

We had – along with friends and family – actually watched the All Blacks’ quarterfinal clash with Ireland.

We knew it was a high-quality test match, in which the result was uncertain right up until the final whistle and that both teams had played well.

But you insult your audience when you suggest anything more than that.

The expectation of the All Blacks is excellence. On Sunday morning (NZ time), they met our collective expectations. I give them enormous credit for that.

But I also think of Manchester United icon turned television pundit, Roy Keane, at times like these.

Keane’s an avowed All Blacks’ fan, but very much of the school that professional athletes shouldn’t be praised for doing their job.

Good players should play well and many All Blacks did, during the 28-24 win.

The stage is now set for them to go on and win this Rugby World Cup. If they do, I’ll say well done. If not, then they won’t have been good enough.

And that’s how I feel about Ireland right now.

They had ample opportunities to beat the All Blacks on Sunday and weren’t good enough to take them. At times, that was due to the resolve and desperation of the All Blacks.

At others, it was their own ineptitude.

I didn’t get the Irish inclination to spread the ball wide. I didn’t see how letting staggered and retreating All Blacks defensive lines drift across and bundle guys towards the touchline was a smart tactic.

Time and again, Ireland created holes in the All Blacks’ midfield but, rather than punch through them, they shuffled the ball sideways.

Yes, the All Blacks were fortunate the game featured so few scrums. And, yes, despite having the by far the weaker scum, the All Blacks were exceptionally fortunate referee Wayne Barnes chose to penalise the dominant Irish instead.

But that’s rugby. It’s an imperfect game, played and refereed by imperfect people. There’s no doubt the quarterfinal result was a great outcome for the All Blacks. They should now put 20 points on Argentina in their semifinal and look forward with relish to meeting South Africa in a final.

England won’t be a pushover for the Springboks, but I’d expect South Africa to beat England as comfortably as the All Blacks do Argentina.

But I go back to the All Blacks and the expectation of excellence.

I’ve worried this year that we’d come to expect mediocrity. That we’ve begun to praise efforts rather than outcomes.

The All Blacks’ legacy isn’t built on effort. It’s built on excellence and that’s the challenge for every coach and player who inherits that legacy.

When we start singling players and coaches out and saying they’ve answered their critics or that they’ve been redeemed – on the back of one quarterfinal victory – then we tarnish that legacy.

So well done to the All Blacks for Sunday. Good luck for this weekend and the one that follows.

If they’re worthy inheritors of the team’s great legacy, then they’ll continue to play well and continue to win.

That is their job, after all.