Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said he is hoping the ongoing spat between his side’s former captain Johnny Sexton and All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane will spice up Saturday’s highly anticipated Test between the sides at the Aviva Stadium.
Sexton and Ioane were embroiled in a verbal spat during the latter stages and after the final whistle of the previous match between the sides, last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final, which the All Blacks won.
Ioane was spotted taunting Sexton after the final whistle, and the famed fly-half, who played 118 Tests for Ireland between 2009 and 2023, detailed the incident in his book Obsession.
Last month, Ioane responded to the book passages by sharing an image of him and Sexton from that game on Instagram, with the Cranberries’ song ‘Zombie’ playing over the top.
That World Cup encounter was Sexton’s penultimate outing for his country, and while he will not be in play on Saturday, Farrell expects the spat to provide some spice to the contest.
‘That’s what normally happens when the All Blacks come into town’
“Hopefully. That’s what everyone wants, right? “That’s what everyone wants,” he explained. They want it, too. That’s what happens when the All Blacks arrive to town.
“I haven’t noticed anything different, therefore I believe Irish rugby is doing well.
“I think everyone knows New Zealand are always the team to beat so I expect it to be as good as ever, if not better.”
Ireland has had the upper hand in recent clashes with New Zealand, winning five of the past nine meetings, despite the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup quarter-final victories over the men from the Emerald Isle in Japan in 2019 and France in 2023.
The most recent meeting between these sides came at last year’s global showpiece in Paris, yet despite their defeat, Farrell stated that his team will not seek vengeance.
“No, it is not. “That is the truth,” Farrell added. “Do you need that when you’re competing against one of the world’s finest teams? Everyone knows the truth.
“We strive to compete with the greatest, and if that isn’t enough motivation… I mean, playing against the All Blacks has always added an edge to any type of game. This is a high-level Test match in which everyone wants to be involved.
‘A lot of water that’s gone under the bridge’
“Revenge from a year ago…” There has been a lot of rugby played. A lot of water has passed under the bridge as well. It doesn’t even come into play for us.”
Farrell announced his team on Wednesday, and while there were some unusual selection calls, Farrell is pleased with the matchday 23 roster he chose.
“It’s what it is.” “You can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat and throw people in if they’re not prepared,” he said.
“This is a significant test match. “You take action based on your current situation and resources.”In contrast to South Africa, England, and New Zealand, we do not have a large pool of players to experiment with.
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