Rugby World Cup Pool C: New Zealand vs Ireland, Sunday September 7th, Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium, 2.45pm kick-off, live on RTÉ2 and BBC Two.
A date with destiny. Well, not quite. Sunday’s clash in Brighton is a bizarre proposal. In playing New Zealand, Ireland line out against arguably the highest profile opponent they will face at this World Cup.
Only, in the strictest, non-romantic sense possible, that doesn’t matter. This is not do-or-die. The punishment for losing is a likely date with France, a side Ireland do not fear after running them reasonably close in the Six Nations.
Alternatively, victory against the Black Ferns would likely see Ireland face South Africa in the last eight. They would then be comfortable favourites to secure a semi-final berth. Has Irish rugby every stared into a Kiwi contest with both so much and yet so little simultaneously on the line?
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Irish rugby suffers from a mental hang-up with the black jersey. Mercifully, the word “aura” has been absent from the discourse this week. Still, the insecurity which stems largely from the men’s game has drifted into the women’s. Unfairly, perhaps, players and coaches alike have been asked to pull at the psychological threads.
On paper, why should they? Ireland have played New Zealand three times in women’s rugby. On two occasions, they have won. The most recent of those was a memorable WXV1 victory in Vancouver last year. Echoes of the 2014 World Cup victory also ring true. Why should this Ireland side have a Kiwi obsession?
Seven players from the starting side that beat New Zealand last year survive to Sunday. Injuries and retirements largely explain the changes. Eimear Considine is no longer involved. Dorothy Wall and Aoife Wafer remain sidelined. As does Enya Breen, the versatile centre/outhalf missing out through a niggle. Her absence leaves Ireland light on outhalf cover should anything happen to Dannah O’Brien.
Ireland set up New Zealand showdown
Fiona Tuite appears an integral part of this Irish side given her lineout calling. That she misses out in favour of Grace Moore suggests another injury issue. Moore is a stellar athlete, but even with her in tow, Ireland’s lineout suffers. Alex Codling, the coach with responsibility for that area, probably had a busy week.
The Wafer question is intriguing. On Thursday, it was reported in these pages that she was unlikely to feature despite assertions from the Ireland camp that she was “bursting” to go. When her omission was confirmed on Friday, head coach Scott Bemand suggested that she could have lined out if Sunday was an all-or-nothing match. In doing so, he further underlined the unusual circumstances surround this game.
Questions can rightly be asked about the wisdom of using a squad place on a player who won’t feature in any of Ireland’s three pool games. Wafer has become a quarter-final specialist. If she features next week and sends Ireland to a semi-final, all power to Bemand and co.
If not, what then? The victor writes the narrative. That Wafer was picked to travel despite her physical limitations is both an indicator of her talent and a lack of faith in the fit backrows behind her. Post-tournament analysis will focus on the result of Bemand’s gamble. It is a question for another day.
“If you look at Aoife’s eyes, she’s ready to go now,” said Bemand on Friday. “She’s done a great job in her rehab. With Aoife, she’s an incredibly committed individual. We won’t see any ring-rust. She’ll be ready to go. We’re really confident.
“We could have considered picking her this week. We’ve made a decision that actually, for her best opportunity and the team’s best opportunity, is to go hard in training again next week. We’ll see where that stands to us for the following week.”
All told, Bemand’s selection largely confirms that last week’s team to play Spain was largely a case of rotation. Béibhinn Parsons comes back in after impressing on both sides of the ball against Japan. Aoibheann Reilly will look to add tempo to Ireland’s attack from nine. Ruth Campbell adds defensive and lineout grit at lock. Edel McMahon returns as a backrow leader, while Brittany Hogan will once again be asked to fill some of the Wafer-sized hole in attack.
Ellena Perry, unsurprisingly, stays at loosehead after dominating at the scrum last weekend. She is an important set-piece weapon. That she and Nancy McGillivray – the two players plucked from the English system this summer – both line out in Ireland’s most important World Cup match to date reflects a pair of truths. Bemand is rightly focused on short-term benefit to add to his win ledger, while also sending a message that Ireland’s development pathway lags significantly behind what is found on the other side of the Irish Sea.
None of which will matter if Ireland prevail on Sunday. Kiwi super talents such as Jorja Miller and Braxton Sorensen-McGee, who debuted after the famous Irish win last year, will have plenty to say about that result.
Both sides claim they are different from that night in Vancouver. Both claim to have developed into a new beast. Exactly how much they have developed will soon become clear.
New Zealand: Renee Holmes; Braxton-Sorensen McGee, Stacey Waaka, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe; Ruahei Demant, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane; Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale; Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Alana Bremner; Layla Sae, Jorja Miller, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u.
Replacements: Vici-Rose Green, Kate Henwood, Amy Rule, Laura Bayfield, Kennedy Tukuafu, Maia Joseph, Theresa Setefano, Ayesha Leti-I’iga.
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Ellena Perry, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (co-captain); Grace Moore, Edel McMahon (co-captain), Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Niamh O’Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corri-Fallon, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Nancy McGillivray, Anna McGann.
