Ireland Team Talk XI: Team of nervoUS MOD warning Post 1

Look we know we can beat them and yes Joe Schmidt is the reason for that despite my criticism. His tactics tend to frustrate a team like New Zealand. You can suck them into an arm wrestle as they try to play both ways, up front, pick and jams, with width, with offloads and now they kick a bit . Say when it was perceived they had a weak-ish scrum they go out to prove that wrong or try and beast your pack if questioned or if you try to get the upper hand there. japan will always play the free flowing game and box smart not necessarily winning the right to go wide...perfect ala Munster's Pennyball. So i think if there is a weakness its that new zealand maybe have lost their ruthlessness or smarts when playing teams like Ireland. They definitely respect us more, the days of not knowing players or talking down is gone i think. I know mates of Shane Jennings and i heard after one of the tests even though he was extra man he had to go in and ask for one of the new caps to get a jersey after he was refused, just a general lack of respect before (Jenning's is that type of guy)

I'm criticised for using the term Joeball, fair enough, but i'll admit its the perfect plan for New Zealand. So i know i'm eating into my own argument. My criticism extended to other things though like the confusion around Fullback, Best, a few players seemingly undroppable, Kleyn.

I had a dream that it was all a ruse and we shocked them. Sexton on fire, moves unleashed, henshaw's injury faked, looking undercooked on purpose.

But the very reason some of us are worried is not that Ireland are not the one of old or crap or anything like that. Its because our form has fallen off a cliff and as we saw with Scotland are they really any use? So the last time we performed really well in a pivotal test apart from perhaps France was against New Zealand (not counting those warm ups)

So nobody is trying to be hyper critical and we all want a win.

Schmidt has done it twice, with both wins securing his legacy, more so than the grand slam imo.

We can definitely do it. We all know though New Zealand can do to us what they did to France in 2015. We need the best week of our lives. We need to tap every emotional resource we have. This is it for many of the lads, definitely World Cup wise. As Les Kiss said of POC's injury in 2015 he was such a warrior on his injury it was best for a warrior to go out out on their own shield as he did. None of the players can go out like damp squibs and with all the planning, prep and emotion the brainless bashing pick and jam plays we have seen over the last 12 months cannot be it. As EOS pointed out Conor Murray doesn't break anymore, like in Chicago. That has to be a ruse. IF not and thats all there is i don't know what to say really.

No criticism this week myself included we need all energy to be positive. Murray mentioned on RTE that some stuff does seep through from family, journos demeanor etc.

Its a huge ask, the turnarounds dont help, but maybe the All Blacks are undercooked.

What will annoy me if there is no moves and we get the valiant defeat people will shrug and move on. But we'd really need to admit to ourselves we fupped up against Japan. South Africa are vastly overrated. A good side, not a great one. I think we had their number.

We're playing the World Champions if that was part of the plan and ruse, I'll doff my cap to Schmidt. But if it was all set up for the Saffers well then this is up there with our gravest errors. Yet people are accepting defeat now to countries like Japan. Like the old days but now with minnows. That pisses me off.