Brodie Retallick of the All Blacks. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Avoiding an World Cup exit is just as important motivation as avenging last year's home test series loss to Ireland, says veteran All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick.
Ireland came from a test down to win a three-match series in New Zealand for the first time last year but the three-times world champions will have a chance to take a measure of revenge in the quarter-final at Stade De France in Parison Sunday morning.
Retallick, a World Cup winner in 2015, said the memory of losing to England in the semi-finals four years ago was as much of a driving force for the players who went through it.
"To get knocked out and to feel the pain of not being in the final and then obviously when the Irish came down to New Zealand."
"I don't think you'd talk to any professional rugby player that likes getting beaten so it's definitely motivational. We touched on 2019 as a team before we left New Zealand," said Retallick.
"Obviously, some of us haven't experienced that and it's a hard lesson to learn when you do. Our plan is obviously not to go through that pain this week."
Retallick has particular reason to remember the loss to Ireland in the third test in Wellington last year after he sustained a broken cheekbone that ruled him out of the Rugby Championship.
Irish prop Andrew Porter was shown a yellow card and cited for the high shot but received no further punishment for the incident, which almost certainly would have drawn a red card at this World Cup.
Ireland have won three of their last four tests against the All Balcks. Photo: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan, ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
"I'm not going to dwell on it," Retallick added, a little disingenuously having raised the matter.
"It was still head-on-head in my opinion and it's frustrating when you get injuries that rule you out of the game."
Retallick said he had been enjoying the atmosphere the Irish fans have been bringing to the tournament, particularly the renditions of the 1990s pop song "Zombie".
"I think that's one of the awesome parts about a World Cup, the enthusiasm the crowd bring," he added.
"I've seen them singing the Cranberries, it's a great song, but hopefully they're not singing it (at the weekend)."
Coach Ian Foster, who almost lost his job over the Ireland series loss, said tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax was still a chance to play despite aggravating a knee injury in New Zealand's final pool game against Uruguay.
-Reuters
