{"id":13970,"date":"2022-07-14T23:16:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T22:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/?p=13970"},"modified":"2022-07-14T23:16:53","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T22:16:53","slug":"all-black-inception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2022\/07\/14\/all-black-inception\/","title":{"rendered":"All Black Inception"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The 2010 film \u2018Inception\u2019 has scorched the innermost parts of my brain. This big screen feast had concepts that lit all the senses. Visually it was seeing things like the city of Paris fold in and on itself. Aurally, Edith Piaf\u2019s Je Ne Regrette Rien twisted and reborn as a time bending plot device and a highly memorable if unrecognisable score.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Christopher Nolan\u2019s cerebral blockbuster may seem a world apart from a rugby contest in store in the Land of the Long White cloud. But the central tenet of the movie, the thing that has stuck with me the most, is that once brought into the world it\u2019s almost impossible to kill an idea.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s that thought that resonates with the mouth-watering sporting clash that awaits us this weekend.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ireland&#039;s First Win Against The All Blacks In New Zealand\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/153VhCmsQFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure what the New Zealand team that first toured the British Isle in 1905 would have made of the central idea of Inception. But I suspect they had some inkling that they were creating something special: an idea that would exceed them.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how the touring New Zealand side earned their moniker the \u2018All Blacks\u2019 whether through a typographical error \u2013 they <em>All<\/em> played like <em>Backs<\/em>? \u2013 or simply because of the colour of the jersey, which seems most likely. Whatever its origins, this national side made up of native M\u0101ori and colonials have been referred to as the All Blacks ever since.<\/p>\n<p>Coupled with the pre-match ritual of the haka, and their top drawer rugby skills the team\u2019s reputation travelled far and wide. They are easily the most successful national team in the history of the sport.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13971\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13971\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13971 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Haka1925.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"375\" height=\"248\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13971\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The All Blacks at the climax of their haka before a test against France in Paris, January 1925.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An idea had been born. These New Zealanders were no ordinary rugby team. They were All Blacks and they were unique. Their fans knew it too.<\/p>\n<p>The Welsh choirs singing Bread of Heaven in the Cardiff drizzle may indeed be a religious occasion, but the relentless chant of \u2018All Blacks. All Blacks. All Blacks\u2019 simply demands success.<\/p>\n<p>It didn\u2019t matter who they faced. What team or colour. Resistance was futile. But one team suffered more than any other. Year after year the team in green were beaten all black, and blue. From that very first tour in 1905 Ireland endured 111 years of shoe pie.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ireland vs New Zealand - Carisbrook - 1992\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yrX4W4VOQNI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>At best there were crushing last minutes loses. At worst, and usually in response to these \u2018near wins\u2019 the humiliation of record score obliterations. In my lifetime it was teams that included the likes of Vinny Cunningham, Keith Wood and Conor Murray from 1992, 2002 and 2012 that typify this. Each poked the All Black bear and suffered brutal and pitiless responses. 56-9. 40-8. 60-0.<\/p>\n<p>For Ireland, the All Blacks were a giant albatross on our backs, and it took a Kiwi to help bend, and finally break that mystique.<\/p>\n<p>In just his third game in charge, Joe Schmidt\u2019s Ireland had New Zealand beaten. Until they weren\u2019t. It may have taken the last play of the game and a conversion twice taken, but the All Blacks had beaten Ireland. Like they always did.<\/p>\n<p>Three years later in Chicago we finally beat New Zealand. This was an end of season game, however, almost an exhibition match, a test played in a neutral, non-rugby venue, against an All Black team lacking recognized second rows.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"HIGHLIGHTS: All Blacks v Ireland\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K2jh7__LAto?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The following week they came to Dublin and \u2018shoe pie\u2019 resumed. With a violent intensity and no little skill, they beat us into submission once again.<\/p>\n<p>The victory in 2018 was a more genuine breakthrough. But normal trouncing service was resumed at the subsequent World Cup when it really mattered. Joe out. Busted Flush.<\/p>\n<p>But something had changed. The aura of invincibility around the All Blacks had disappeared forever. Mythological characters \u2013 the McCaws and Carters \u2013 were reduced to mortal men \u2013 Canes and Barretts.<\/p>\n<p>When they came here last autumn Ireland obliterated them in the most one-sided, close-margin-victory I\u2019ve ever witnessed. We played them off the park, with the score board somehow saying 29-20 at the end of the match. But make no mistake, the All Blacks had been beasted by Ireland.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ireland v New Zealand 2021\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aQm1botK0ZU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Now, incredibly, Ireland could be the first side in the professional era to win a series in New Zealand. Having largely gifted the first test to the home team, Ireland won comfortably enough last week; although, slightly worryingly, throwing away at least two gilt edge tries to give a final score line that flattered the hosts.<\/p>\n<p>This is new territory for an Irish rugby fan. But can we actually do it in the third and deciding test? For sure it\u2019s not the best team New Zealand has ever put out, albeit with <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishexaminer.com\/sport\/rugby\/arid-40912388.html\">Sam Whitelock<\/a><\/span> back in the second row they present a more challenging proposition, and they surely won\u2019t be so undisciplined next time out. Ireland are essentially unchanged, but Ringrose\u2019s dashing forays will be missed.<\/p>\n<p>The rational mind says New Zealand are 7-10 point favourites. They just don\u2019t lose home series. The PTSD of previous bloodbaths suggests there could yet be another dose of shoe-pie.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, with their aura of invincibility gone forever, another idea is crystallizing, which is that, <em>whisper it,<\/em> Ireland are becoming New Zealand\u2019s \u2018bogey\u2019 team.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s too early for this nascent idea to have much hold. Or power. But win tomorrow and it may start to play tricks on the All Black mind, just like the French have had a habit of doing.<\/p>\n<p>In all likelihood, come 10am on Saturday morning my foolhardy hopes will be confronted by crushing reality as normal All Black service is resumed. But this is sport, where hope is everything.<\/p>\n<p>I believe Ireland can make history. And even if i have egg on my face after the final result comes through, <em>non, je ne regrette rien<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span class=\"mw-mmv-title\">Feature Image: All Blacks rugby union team that toured the United Kingdom in 1905-6.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>We are an independent media platform dependent on readers\u2019 support. You can make a one-off contribution via <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buymeacoffee.com\/cassandravoices\">Buy Me a Coffee<\/a><\/span> or better still on an ongoing basis through <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/cassandravoices\">Patreon<\/a><\/span>. Any amount you can afford is really appreciated.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2010 film \u2018Inception\u2019 has scorched the innermost parts of my brain. This big screen feast had concepts that lit all the senses. Visually it was seeing things like the city of Paris fold in and on itself. Aurally, Edith Piaf\u2019s Je Ne Regrette Rien twisted and reborn as a time bending plot device and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":310,"featured_media":13973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[426,427,1005,4374,4475,7032,7033,8577],"class_list":["post-13970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","tag-all","tag-all-blacks-ireland","tag-black","tag-inception","tag-ireland-v-all-blacks","tag-patrick-stephenson","tag-patrick-stephenson-cassandra-voices","tag-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}