“We haven’t forgotten that” – Brent Pope on Ireland’s comments that New Zealand used as motivation and Jean Kleyn Was Surprised By Irish Media Reaction To His South Africa Switch…

Just as Ardie Savea mentioned, “We’ve kept track.”

With the upcoming World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa, the most recent episode of House of Rugby had a notable New Zealand influence.

Brent Pope has made Ireland his home since the early 1990s, yet his New Zealand identity remains deeply rooted. As a former Otago No.8 who narrowly missed the 1987 World Cup due to injury, it was challenging for him to remain impartial when Ireland faced the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-final earlier this month.

With New Zealand emerging victorious and now gearing up to face South Africa after a resounding win over Argentina in the semi-final, Pope joined Sene Naoupu and Máire Treasa ní Dhubhghaill to discuss the upcoming rugby showcase.

Pope also touched on several instances where remarks originating from Ireland—be it from players, fans, or certain sections of the media—were seized upon by the All Blacks as sources of motivation.

Brent Pope on comments that fueled the All Blacks During his appearance on the show, Brent Pope referred to comments made ahead of the quarter-final, where Ireland’s players credited former coach Joe Schmidt while praising Andy Farrell for creating a more relaxed atmosphere. Pope also noted that the All Blacks were jokingly referred to as a ‘Tier 2 side,’ but this seemed to be in jest from supporters since coaches and players consistently showed respect for Ian Foster’s team during their media interactions.

Peter O’Mahony was picked up on the referee’s microphone during last summer’s Second Test victory over the All Blacks, referring to Kiwi skipper Sam Cane as ‘a s**t Richie McCaw.’ Tadhg Beirne told reporters before the World Cup quarter-final that the Kiwis had brought beer from their ‘home’ dressing room to assist in Ireland’s celebrations after they had secured a series win in Wellington.

One significant change since that Test Series in the summer of 2022 was Joe Schmidt having a significant influence on how the All Blacks approached their game. Former Ireland center Sene Naoupu praised Schmidt, referring to him as “an absolute genius” and highlighted the precision with which his plans were executed.

Pope, who maintains contact with Schmidt, mentioned that the man who led Ireland to three Six Nations titles would have been determined to triumph over his former team for the Kiwi cause.

He stated, “I used to say, ‘I’m going to prove them wrong.’ This is a very human aspect of being a rugby coach or player. When people doubt you, the one thing you want to prove is that ‘I’ll show them that I was the best coach in [that] country, and they shouldn’t have doubted me.’

“And I think that’s a significant motivational driving force, not only for Joe but for the entire team. It’s as Ardie Savea put it, ‘We’ve kept track.’ They came to our home ground, defeated us, and made history. We haven’t forgotten that.

“They used all of that – the things Peter O’Mahony said or didn’t say – as a source of motivation and told the team that if they didn’t deliver their best performance, they wouldn’t beat Ireland. They capitalized on the fact that Ireland hadn’t advanced past the quarter-final and played on that. They felt aggrieved that Ireland had come to New Zealand and defeated them on their home turf, and they remembered all of those moments and delivered on the day.”

Regarding the winner of this weekend’s final, Pope humorously likened it to an epic heavyweight bout between Ali and Frazier.

Both Naoupu and Pope are leaning toward the All Blacks to secure their fourth World Cup, and they also acknowledged another ‘receipt’ they are holding onto – the memory of losing to South Africa in the 1995 World Cup final.

These individuals certainly hold on to their motivations, don’t they?

 

Jean Kleyn Was Surprised By Irish Media Reaction To His South Africa Switch…

Jean Kleyn expressed his surprise at the positive reception his decision to switch to the South African national rugby team received from the Irish media.

His time with the Irish team was relatively short, with just five caps earned during his stint, and he was no longer part of the squad after Joe Schmidt’s departure.

Some had suggested that his strong performance with Munster in 2023 might prompt an Ireland recall, but instead, he received a call-up from South Africa.

This was possible due to World Rugby eligibility rules, which allowed him to play for the country of his birth after three years since his last appearance for Ireland.

Kleyn is now preparing for a World Cup final, even though it was initially expected that he wouldn’t feature much for South Africa in the tournament. He made only two appearances in the pool stages.

Despite these circumstances, he expressed his enjoyment of his time with the South African team and was pleasantly surprised by the predominantly positive response his switch received in the Irish media.

He had anticipated a potentially negative reaction due to his history with the Irish media but was pleased to find that the response was largely supportive. This unexpected support made his journey easier, and he reflected on the remarkable turn of events that brought him to the World Cup final.

Given that many Ireland fans had already accepted that Kleyn was unlikely to be a part of Andy Farrell’s future squad, this might explain the relative indifference in the Irish media’s reaction to his move to South Africa. Munster fans, on the other hand, are likely to support both Kleyn and RG Snyman in the upcoming final.