"One minute we're winding the clocks back an hour, the next we're hurtling forwards into rugby union's maddest month. Welcome to the whistle-stop world of the Autumn Nations Series, which, this year, has arrived as abruptly as a cat burglar in the Louvre. Sides that take time to settle into familiar old routines are about to experience a short, sharp shock. Of course there is the flip side: the main southern hemisphere powers have been smashing away at each other for weeks and certain individuals must be slightly weary."
"Not least, potentially, in Ireland. This week should be all about basking in former glories as they prepare to take on New Zealand in Chicago. Ah, Chicago. What a sweet home from home it was nine years ago when, for the first time in 111 years of tackling New Zealand, the boys in green beat the All Blacks. A packed Soldier Field, standing tall opposite the haka in an iconic figure-of-eight formation to honour Anthony Axel Foley; the memories remain indelible."
"Huff and puff against an All Black side beaten 43-10 at home by South Africa last month, alternatively, and the narrative may start to shift. Are the Irish an ageing team in need of fresh impetus? Were they too reliant on some now absent individuals? As in the world of pop music, not every Irish boyband endures for ever. Which makes life all the trickier for their returning head coach, Andy Farrell. Having been away with the Lions,"
The Autumn Nations Series has arrived abruptly, giving southern hemisphere teams an advantage in cohesion after weeks of competition while northern teams face a short, sharp shock. Extra high-profile Tests outside the official window in a British & Irish Lions year create scheduling strains and concern over player readiness. National unions risk rapid loss of feelgood factor if teams do not perform immediately. Ireland faces New Zealand in Chicago, recalling the landmark 2016 win at Soldier Field and the iconic tribute to Anthony Axel Foley. A win would reinforce legacy; a poor result would raise questions about an ageing squad, reliance on absent players, and the challenge for returning head coach Andy Farrell.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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