All but two of the starting XV who watched the Test side make history last Saturday and then made their own small piece of history by beating the Maoris for the first time on Tuesday have since reverted to prepping the frontliners for the series decider in Wellington’s Sky Stadium on Saturday.
“Yeah, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t somewhat envious of the lads who’ve just gone and made history, beating the All Blacks for the first time ever on New Zealand soil,” admitted Nick Timoney. “You sort of feel like you’re in touching distance but at the same time you’re not necessarily part of that exact same achievement.
“You’re also delighted. I feel like I’m part of the group and trying to contribute what I can in training and push the team on so even if it’s a small contribution when you’re not necessarily in the match day squad. Like, it’s a small bit of cliché, there’s history been made, it’s good to be a part of it and close to it and seeing what goes on around it.
“Everyone wants to play the matches against the All Blacks, obviously, but sometimes [it’s a case of] just realising where you’re at and having a look at those things you want to have. You want to be a starter in the Test team so it motivates yourself a bit more to look at yourself harder and try and get better.”
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Timoney was one of those who made a significant improvement from the first Maori game to the second. While there were some good carries, the ball didn’t come his way and give him then opportunity to show his pace as a carrier too much. But the Ulster openside was prepared to get down and dirty in the team’s defensive effort, leading the tackle count with 18 and winning two superb turnover penalties with his timing and strength over the ball.
Considering the quality of players that are not even here - Jack O’Domoghue to name one - that is no mean feat and this tour marks another upward step in Timoney’s graph. As for the next step, he is under no illusions.
“I think you’ve got to show that you legitimately offer something that some of the Saturday team can’t. That’s the honest fact of it.
“I appreciate what we’ve been told, that you just can’t sort of get to the same level, or sort of do what the lads who start do and expect you’re going to start. International rugby, it’s pretty damn serious and the lads on Saturday have proven themselves time and time again so there’s a certain element to that you’ve got to prove yourself time and time again and then try and exceed the level that they’re at and offer something new.
“So it’s a pretty tough ask in the Irish backrow certainly. The Test team are performing pretty damn well. Listen, everyone wants to be in the Test team, don’t get me wrong but certainly we have good group in this midweek team, if that’s what you want to call it, that are pushing each other forward as well and hopefully putting a small amount of pressure on the starters in training.”
Nonetheless, recovering from that 32-17 loss in the opening tour match in Hamilton to beat a team of Super Rugby players led by a World Cup-winning captain in TJ Perenara was a significant achievement in its own right, and a landmark Irish win over the Maoris at the fourth attempt.
“In terms of an Irish team beating them this is the first time ever so yeah, that’s something to be proud of. Beating the Maori All Blacks is nothing to turn your nose up at. Beating them is always going to be tough. New Zealand rugby has always been, I know they’ve slipped down the ranking but they’ve always been top dogs for as long as I can remember in rugby.”
Reflecting on the tour opener, Timoney admitted: “Yeah, we had a pretty honest look at last game. We just felt that there were a lot of errors that we let ourselves down in and maybe some of that can be chalked down to a lack of cohesion but some of that was just individual responsibility. We looked at the areas that cost us the last day and we had a good 13 days – which felt like a long time – to rectify those and I think we certainly rectified some of those tonight which is pleasing enough.”
A typically wet and windy night in Wellington, coupled with only a couple of dedicated training sessions for this side, did clip their ambitions slightly. But akin to the test team, Ireland won with 44 per cent possession and 55 per cent territory in leading from the eighth minute to the finishing line.
“To an extent, because it was wet,” said Timoney of the apparent lower-risk approach. “It wasn’t actually all that terrible. Coming off the back of our season where it felt like every game we played was in conditions like that it didn’t feel like anything too out of the ordinary. Obviously it was a bit windy and it rained periodically. From that point of view you don’t want to be playing high risk rugby in your own half.
“But the game plan wasn’t to not play any rugby but the game just didn’t lend itself to playing a whole lot. It ended up being very stop-start with a lot of scrums and mauls and set pieces.”
[ Maori games a 'massive' boost to Ireland ahead of World Cup year, says FarrellOpens in new window ]
The less experienced players in the squad have clearly bonded and it helped that Timoney played alongside Cian Prendergast and Gavin Coombes in the same backrow for both of the Maori games.
“Yeah, listen I’ve gotten closer with Coombesy over the last year and Prendo over the last three weeks. We get on very well off the pitch - similar sense of humour and that sort of stuff. It helps us work together on the pitch. Lads like Joe McCarthy I wouldn’t have known beforehand, we’ve gotten to be good friends over the last few weeks.
“Certainly in the non-Test group, you’re in the same schedule doing the same things. Those experiences bring you closer together and have made it really enjoyable.”
