Aisle be Back: New Zealand v Ireland

• By Kevin McCarthy

We’ve all sussed out the All Blacks strategy this weekend. Three locks, designed to take the wind out of a decent Irish forward pack, but a potentially fragile scrum underbelly.

Then in the last 20, or so, the young guns are unleashed off the bench in Anton Segner and Peter Lakai to carve up a tiring Irish beast. As well as Caleb Clark.

Which being the case, we hardly need to play the game.

I would be wary if I were Ireland that when your opponent signals their game plan so obviously, that it could be two things. One, a challenge that this indeed is the approach the All Blacks will take and see if you are up to it.

Or it could be a ruse. With extra beef, the All Blacks will punch it up close to the breakdowns and aim to starve Ireland of territory. It would be a pressure game.

That would imply the ball won’t be rocketing out to the wings too quickly, because this isn’t the world’s speediest loose trio.

So, I am going to take a punt (probably a wobbly one) that the blitz rugby won’t be kept under wraps until the last quarter. I think they will move the ball wide and fast early. I mean, with the superlative Will Jordan and the rookie Josh Moorby , and DMac, it will beggar belief if they don’t utilize an attacking back three as the situation unfolds and dictates.

This isn’t at all counterintuitive to the beefy boys plan, because it will move around the Irish pack, and keep their defence wondering. Which is when three athletic locks could do some carnage in the close channels.

Anyway, Ireland as we know are no chumps, even if they’re not the side of 2023. They’ll bring their own brains trust and stratagem to unpicking the All blacks, who you must admit, are hardly poster boys for defensive perfection right now.

I believe this is game three of the Rugby Global Mega Completion, or something like that. Is anyone gripped by the unfolding permutations and results? I doubt it. Just keeping winning would seem wise.

Just like any other test match, really.

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Oh my god, where has this Josh Moorby fellow come from? Well, he came off the bench, and helped light up the All Black attack, producing some very sharp assists for others.

Anyone in Hurricanes’ territory would not be surprised. At fullback or wing, he’s always been a X factor guy. Scoring tries, setting up others, and never shirking the physical.

Now of course a stellar time in super rugby does not translate into tests necessarily. But I am sure like me, you have got to suspect this guy is going to be a gem.

It’s just less sure that Josh from Accounts will work as his future moniker.

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Ardie Savea captains the side at No. 8, with Ruben Love at first-five and Asafo Aumua and Xavier Numia both on the bench.

All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets)

1.  Ethan de Groot (42)

2.  Codie Taylor (108)

3.  Tyrel Lomax (50)

4.   Josh Lord (14)

5.  Patrick Tuipulotu (56)

6.   Tupou Vaa’i (46)

7.  Luke Jacobson (26)  

8.  Ardie Savea (108) (Captain)

9.  Cam Roigard (19)

10. Ruben Love (7)

11. Josh Moorby (1)

12. Jordie Barrett (80)

13.  Quinn Tupaea (25)

14. Will Jordan (56)

15. Damian McKenzie (76)

16.  Asafo Aumua (21)

17.  Xavier Numia (1)

18. Fletcher Newell (36)

19.  Anton Segner (1)

20.  Peter Lakai (9)

21. Cortez Ratima (23)

22.  Anton Lienert-Brown (89)

23. Caleb Clarke (34)

Unavailable due to injury: Fehi Fineanganofo (shoulder); Leroy Carter (shoulder)