Ireland have been preparing for a year to overcome ‘biggest test in rugby’ and beat New Zealand

PARIS — “If you can’t get excited about what’s coming… This is proper living now! This is exactly where you want to be!”

It is safe to say Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was ecstatic with the state of affairs for his world No 1 side after a 36-14 demolition of Scotland, which assured the Irish would be playing at the Stade de France again on Saturday night against New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.

But his Scotland counterpart, Gregor Townsend, was a little lost for an explanation as to what his side could have done to avert the defeat. His Scotland outfit that had climbed to fifth in the world on a brand of expansive, running rugby, had largely been snuffed out by a simply elite defence, and an incisive attack.

The usually expansive Scots beat only 27 Irish defenders, down from 72 Romanian, 48 Tongan and roughly on par with 23 South African (the Springboks renowned for elite defence). It must be added that most of those against Ireland came in a flurry within a brief spell of ascendancy around the hour mark when they scored their two tries.

For the rest of the match, Townsend’s team were simply snuffed out – and the Scottish head coach was the first to admit it: “They were just very good! I thought they defended really well. At times we were getting line breaks, making some metres and with a lot of pressure went through a lot of phases – and they kept their shape, in that first quarter in particular.

“They’re the best in the world for a reason, probably the thing that stands out from an attacking perspective is when you give them entries into the 22 they’re very good at coming away with points.

“The way Irish rugby is set up, they could dominate world rugby for the next five to 10 years.”

One defensive set that saw Scotland cycle through 18 phases without making inroads was described by his counterpart Farrell as “amazing”. For a head coach who subscribes to the notion that defences win World Cups, he was very satisfied with his side’s precision and applied pressure.

“It’s tough at times because Scotland were threatening, throwing the ball around everywhere, but our systems are strong, our contacts are strong. And it’s a sickening blow when you’re attacking really well.

“We were able to keep them out and get them to the other end of the field and then all of a sudden, another seven points on the board. It’s a tough one to take but that’s what top level rugby has to be all about.”

Ireland will hope to put the same defensive chokehold on their next opponents New Zealand, a team they only beat for the first time ever in 2016, but hold the recent record over.

Of their last eight games, Ireland have won five, including a 2-1 series victory in New Zealand in July last year, beating the All Blacks on home soil for the first time.

What will certainly give the Irish comfort is knowing that a similarly-minded South Africa side beat the All Blacks in a dominant showing just before the World Cup at Twickenham, suppressing them to a 35-7 rout in the Qatar Airways Cup on 25 August.

They gave away their share of penalties in that game, and were profligate when it came to securing ball against even Uruguay midweek, conceding 17 turnovers and seven penalties. Applying pressure in defence and via the breakdown is seemingly the template to follow.

Townsend, however, couldn’t pick the victors of the quarter-finals on that side of a rather lopsided draw.

“Those quarter-finals are going to be very difficult to predict because New Zealand are playing outstanding rugby. South Africa had opportunities to beat Ireland and Ireland just held on at the end of the game to beat them – so they’re not far away.

Obviously France are in great form. So they’re the four strongest teams.

“So it’s very hard to predict. But if Ireland play like that they’ll be very difficult to beat.”

Though he somewhat denies it, Farrell’s men are now, to most onlookers, the favourites for their quarter final clash. He said: “New Zealand are a fantastic side and for little old Ireland to be talked about in the same bracket as the All Blacks shows that how far we’ve come as a rugby playing nation.

“But the respect that we’ve got for New Zealand is through the roof. The form that they’ve got at this moment in time is top draw.”

His captain and fly-half Johnny Sexton pointed to last year’s series as something that would give Ireland confidence, and said it was where their current strength was forged: “We went to New Zealand and Andy told us he put us under the most pressure that he could, to go on a three-Test tour but also do the midweek games.

“He said it was to test us and to make us learn – and we learned so many lessons on that tour to take with us for the Six Nations, to the Grand Slam.

“And then it’s put us in this situation again, to have to play them again. It’s one that they want and when they’re hurting, and they want to prove something. That’s the biggest challenge in rugby, to try and beat them when they’re in that frame of mind.

“It’ll be down to who approaches that the best and who can put their game out there on the biggest day when the pressure is on.”

Farrell agrees the challenge is a steep one, but one he is keen to embrace.

“I’m sure that they they will be relishing this fixture to try and put a few things right – so it’s tough. It’s tough. As tough as it gets.

“Hopefully they all need to be at their best to beat us as well.”