JUST TWO MINUTES into the World Cup quarter-final in Paris last year, the first scrum.
Ireland ploughed forward through New Zealand and came up from the set-piece looking like they were ready to celebrate. Just outside the Kiwi 22 in a central position, it would have been a gimme three points.
Wayne Barnes blew his whistle but raised his right arm. Penalty against Ireland.
The call came from the touchline around 20 metres away. With Barnes on the openside, assistant referee Christophe Ridley called in his view that Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter had driven on the angle.
Porter and Ireland were deeply frustrated and maintained post-match that Kiwi tighthead Tyrel Lomax had initiated that inward movement under pressure from Porter.
There was another penalty against Porter early in the second half with New Zealand feeding into a scrum on their own five-metre line, right in the corner. It was a big pressure position, Ireland having got back within a point on the scoreboard, but Barnes’ whistle signalled a lifting of that stress.
Again, Porter was done for boring.
The third scrum penalty came in the 66th minute, the Irish scrum pinged for wheeling. Jordie Barrett missed that long-range shot at goal but Ireland conceded a penalty off their 22-metre restart and Barrett made it 28-24, the final scoreline.
Afterwards, Ireland felt aggrieved about the scrum interpretations so the scrum battle in tonight’s meeting with the Kiwis was always going to be fascinating.
“They’ll feel pretty hard done by. I certainly do every time I get penalised,” said Lomax this week when asked to reflect on the scrums in that World Cup quarter-final.
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All Blacks tighthead Tyrel Lomax. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
There are a few different faces in the starting front rows this time.
Lomax is the only survivor in the Kiwis’ starting front row, with Asafo Aumua in at hooker for the injured Codie Taylor and the gigantic Tamaiti Williams preferred to Ethan de Groot at loosehead despite de Groot being available after an internal suspension for breaching team protocols.
“That’s a performance decision,” said All Blacks boss Scott Robertson of his big show of faith in Williams.
Williams came off the bench against Ireland last year along with hooker Dane Coles and tighthead Fletcher Newell, neither of whom are involved tonight.
The twice-capped George Bell, still only 22, backs up Aumua but Ireland will be wary of 140kg+ replacement tighthead Pasilio Tosi, who did notable damage off the bench against England last weekend.
Formerly a back row, Tosi brings major power in the carry, tackle, and set-piece. He has been a real find for the All Blacks.
On the other side, Dan Sheehan is missing at hooker for Ireland but Rónan Kelleher is fit to start and is regarding as a strong scrummaging hooker.
Porter is still in situ but tighthead Tadhg Furlong is another to miss out on account of his hamstring injury. That means Finlay Bealham comes into the starting XV for Ireland on the occasion of his 43rd cap.
“He [Furlong] is world-class so we see some opportunities in it, yeah,” said Robertson of that change for Ireland.
But Andy Farrell and co. have faith in Bealham’s ability to do the job tonight.
“I think was it 2023 when Tadhg was gone for the majority of the Grand Slam Six Nations and Finlay was unbelievable,” said Ireland captain Caelan Doris.
Finlay Bealham starts for Ireland. Henry Simpson / INPHO
Henry Simpson / INPHO / INPHO
“He took his performances to another level and I think he’s stayed there pretty consistently off the bench when Tadgh’s there or starting in his absence. Yeah, we’re looking forward to seeing that from him.”
Kelleher was the bench hooker last time, so Ulster’s Rob Herring fills that slot tonight as he gets set for his first appearance of any kind since the second Test in South Africa back in July.
Cian Healy, who missed the World Cup, is the back-up loosehead and will draw within one cap of Brian O’Driscoll’s all-time Irish record if he gets on, while 26-year-old tighthead Tom O’Toole gets one of the biggest chances of his Test career so far.
O’Toole has played against the All Blacks before, coming off the bench in the first Test defeat in New Zealand in 2022, but it will surely be special on home soil.
The power of Joe McCarthy and James Ryan from the second row will be as important as ever, while Iain Henderson offers more of that as the bench lock.
It should be an intriguing contest as Ireland look to right some perceived wrongs and the Kiwis attempt to take things up a level.
“We’ve definitely got a little bit more left in us,” said Lomax.
“I thought the way the bench came on and changed the game in the scrum [last week against England] was awesome. As starters, laying a good platform for the backs and trying to assert a bit of dominance early will be key.”
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Can Ireland right the perceived wrongs of the scrum last year?
JUST TWO MINUTES into the World Cup quarter-final in Paris last year, the first scrum.
Ireland ploughed forward through New Zealand and came up from the set-piece looking like they were ready to celebrate. Just outside the Kiwi 22 in a central position, it would have been a gimme three points.
Wayne Barnes blew his whistle but raised his right arm. Penalty against Ireland.
The call came from the touchline around 20 metres away. With Barnes on the openside, assistant referee Christophe Ridley called in his view that Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter had driven on the angle.
Porter and Ireland were deeply frustrated and maintained post-match that Kiwi tighthead Tyrel Lomax had initiated that inward movement under pressure from Porter.
There was another penalty against Porter early in the second half with New Zealand feeding into a scrum on their own five-metre line, right in the corner. It was a big pressure position, Ireland having got back within a point on the scoreboard, but Barnes’ whistle signalled a lifting of that stress.
Again, Porter was done for boring.
The third scrum penalty came in the 66th minute, the Irish scrum pinged for wheeling. Jordie Barrett missed that long-range shot at goal but Ireland conceded a penalty off their 22-metre restart and Barrett made it 28-24, the final scoreline.
Afterwards, Ireland felt aggrieved about the scrum interpretations so the scrum battle in tonight’s meeting with the Kiwis was always going to be fascinating.
“They’ll feel pretty hard done by. I certainly do every time I get penalised,” said Lomax this week when asked to reflect on the scrums in that World Cup quarter-final.
There are a few different faces in the starting front rows this time.
Lomax is the only survivor in the Kiwis’ starting front row, with Asafo Aumua in at hooker for the injured Codie Taylor and the gigantic Tamaiti Williams preferred to Ethan de Groot at loosehead despite de Groot being available after an internal suspension for breaching team protocols.
“That’s a performance decision,” said All Blacks boss Scott Robertson of his big show of faith in Williams.
Williams came off the bench against Ireland last year along with hooker Dane Coles and tighthead Fletcher Newell, neither of whom are involved tonight.
The twice-capped George Bell, still only 22, backs up Aumua but Ireland will be wary of 140kg+ replacement tighthead Pasilio Tosi, who did notable damage off the bench against England last weekend.
Formerly a back row, Tosi brings major power in the carry, tackle, and set-piece. He has been a real find for the All Blacks.
On the other side, Dan Sheehan is missing at hooker for Ireland but Rónan Kelleher is fit to start and is regarding as a strong scrummaging hooker.
Porter is still in situ but tighthead Tadhg Furlong is another to miss out on account of his hamstring injury. That means Finlay Bealham comes into the starting XV for Ireland on the occasion of his 43rd cap.
“He [Furlong] is world-class so we see some opportunities in it, yeah,” said Robertson of that change for Ireland.
But Andy Farrell and co. have faith in Bealham’s ability to do the job tonight.
“I think was it 2023 when Tadhg was gone for the majority of the Grand Slam Six Nations and Finlay was unbelievable,” said Ireland captain Caelan Doris.
“He took his performances to another level and I think he’s stayed there pretty consistently off the bench when Tadgh’s there or starting in his absence. Yeah, we’re looking forward to seeing that from him.”
Kelleher was the bench hooker last time, so Ulster’s Rob Herring fills that slot tonight as he gets set for his first appearance of any kind since the second Test in South Africa back in July.
Cian Healy, who missed the World Cup, is the back-up loosehead and will draw within one cap of Brian O’Driscoll’s all-time Irish record if he gets on, while 26-year-old tighthead Tom O’Toole gets one of the biggest chances of his Test career so far.
O’Toole has played against the All Blacks before, coming off the bench in the first Test defeat in New Zealand in 2022, but it will surely be special on home soil.
The power of Joe McCarthy and James Ryan from the second row will be as important as ever, while Iain Henderson offers more of that as the bench lock.
It should be an intriguing contest as Ireland look to right some perceived wrongs and the Kiwis attempt to take things up a level.
“We’ve definitely got a little bit more left in us,” said Lomax.
“I thought the way the bench came on and changed the game in the scrum [last week against England] was awesome. As starters, laying a good platform for the backs and trying to assert a bit of dominance early will be key.”
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finlay bealham Ireland Nic Berry no scrum no win Tadhg Furlong