We know what the UK press thinks, now let’s see what the All Blacks reckon
Rightly or wrongly, we are always very interested in how the foreign press views our sporting exploits. When it comes to the Six Nations, that usually means how England see us and we brought you all their reaction yesterday.
Today brings a different, but equally interesting perspective. The official All Blacks site have an article called ‘Nine things the All Blacks might have noticed about the Six Nations’ and it is stuffed with praise for championship leaders Ireland.
It kicks off with a line about Ireland becoming, or already being, the biggest threat to the All Blacks in this year’s World Cup and they credit Sexton as our main man. While they are unwilling to say he is the best No 10 in the world – ‘Hailed in the old continent as the best number ten operating in the game, his performance against England showed why he is held is such esteem. First five-eighths in the Southern Hemisphere might bristle at this tag’ – they are well aware that Sexton is playing out of his skin in green.
After a bit referring to Joe Schmidt as Superman for masterminding the Irish winning streak it is Robbie Henshaw who gets the most effusive praise.
Under a heading that reads ‘Henshaw gives Ireland Nonu/SBW type attack’ they credit the Connacht man with bringing some beef to the Irish centre.
‘They may not have the hands that throw passes like silk rain in the midfield (BOD), but the Irish now have a raw power that looks at home in chaos of an international centre channel.’
They go on to say that Ireland no longer need to mourn the end of O’Driscoll’s career because of Henshaw’s emergence, and there can be fewer loftier marks of respect than that.
And, after a word or two of praise for the scrum, that wraps it up. Yes the piece does still make sadly obligatory references to Guinness and craic too but the overall sense is that New Zealand are watching us very closely indeed.
