IT\u2019S ONLY MONDAY of Test week, and already the sense of anticipation has heightened.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s different when the All Blacks are in town. This is when the serious business starts, and the appearance of Johnny Sexton for the Monday afternoon media session confirms as much. He sets the tone, sets the scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t lie about it and say it\u2019s just another game,\u201d said the out-half, at the national team base at Carton House. \u201cWe\u2019ve had it on our radar for a while, definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sexton is set to win his 78th cap against the All Blacks. Source: James Crombie\/INPHO<\/p>\n
Subplots abound, but this week\u2019s renewal of battle lines at the Aviva Stadium pits the world\u2019s top two teams against each other. A head-to-head showdown in front of a capacity crowd, and under the Saturday night lights. Some are already calling it the Test of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After breaking the seal in Chicago, Ireland are eyeing a famous first victory over New Zealand on home soil. These opportunities don\u2019t come around too often. Sexton knows all about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve all been tough games, close games,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe want to make the most of it and see where we are really. It has been two years since we\u2019ve played them last but there has been a lot of changeover from our team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think probably eight guys who played that day [in 2013] won\u2019t play this week so it\u2019s a big change from our point of view but we\u2019re looking forward to seeing how far we\u2019ve come in two years and where we are in the world really.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sexton was, of course, part of the history-making squad two Novembers ago now, the out-half scoring 10 points as Ireland ended an 111-year wait for a momentous victory, but equally he has been on the other end of an All Blacks lesson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His overall record against the back-to-back world champions, for Ireland and the Lions, reads; played 11, lost eight, drawn one, won two.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do get a sort of feel for what you have to do to beat them but then you\u2019ve got to go and do it. That\u2019s the hardest part,\u201d the World Player of the Year nominee explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ll have a great plan, we\u2019ll have some experiences of what\u2019s worked against them in the past, what hasn\u2019t worked and where they are the most dangerous but then you\u2019ve got to go out and implement it. Hopefully that gets you close at the end and then dog it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland know they\u2019ll need to be at their best if they are to stand any chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have to be close to it, yeah,\u201d Sexton agrees. \u201cWhen you think about the last three times we\u2019ve played them, we\u2019ve had brilliant game plans and the times we\u2019ve executed them really, really well we\u2019ve done well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a quality team, they\u2019re going to at some stage have a purple patch, it\u2019s how we adapt and cope with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking at Carton House this afternoon. Source: Laszlo Geczo\/INPHO<\/p>\n
Ireland showed the way in Soldier Field, producing the perfect template on how to bring the All Blacks down. Shut down the space, apply concerted pressure and force them into one of their less effective games. Easier said than done, mind you. Mistakes simply cannot be made.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re under that pressure with Joe every week really, so we\u2019re used to it,\u201d Sexton says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s drilled into us, it\u2019s international rugby really. It\u2019s heightened with New Zealand. It definitely is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never played against a team that would capitalise on a mistake\u2026 you look through the Rugby Championship \u2014 the amount of times you think Australia and South Africa have them under the pump and next thing they\u2019re underneath their own posts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Pretoria, when they came from behind, they [South Africa] are on New Zealand\u2019s line, they\u2019re 12 points up with 10 minutes to go and you think \u2018game over\u2019. They turn it over, go the length of the pitch and score. Then they score again.<\/p>\n
These are the crunch weeks. The real litmus test for Schmidt\u2019s Ireland less than 12 months out from the World Cup. Sexton wants to tick off another piece of history, he wants this team to seize their moment on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the big games that you do all the work for, you do all the practise for,\u201d the 33-year-old adds. \u201cYou don\u2019t get a chance, you know, they\u2019ve been number one team in the world for nine years, you\u2019ve got a small chance to change that.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years we\u2019ve ticked off a little bit of history along the way with winning in Argentina, winning in South Africa for the first time, beating New Zealand for the first time, so to beat them in Ireland for the first time would be another little bit of history that this group can create and it\u2019s one you don\u2019t want to let pass you by.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something no to go in on yourself but to go and attack and go and get it rather than hope it happens.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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