Kiss chases biggest scalp

He’s arguably the most influential member of Declan Kidney’s coaching set-up, and Les Kiss is determined to leave New Zealand with an elusive victory over the All Blacks.

Kiss’s stamp on this Irish side has been apparent from the early days of this coaching team — the ‘shooters’ in defence, the infamous choke-tackle — were hallmarks of the Grand Slam-winning class of 2009.

The Australian was also handed the attacking brief this year after Alan Gaffney stood down from his role as backs coach.

Therefore it must have been hugely frustrating for the man entrusted with opening up and closing down the All Blacks to see his charges go so close in Christchurch.

"I thought they did enough to get the money," said Kiss on Saturday’s agonising 22-19 defeat. "I was shattered by the whole thing but more than anything the players didn’t get what they deserved."

When the full-time whistle blew, amid the scenes of delirium following Dan Carter’s late heroics, the Sky Sports cameras cut to the coaching box containing the distraught Irish management.

The one who took the last-gasp loss the worst was Kiss, who was perched over the desk with his head in his hands.

"In the box you need that moment just to take it in, suck it in, maybe to blow a few expletives out," he explained.

The turnaround in Ireland’s defensive mindset from week one to week two was spectacular. The vast open spaces in Auckland in which Julian Savea and his fellow Kiwi backs roamed freely were replaced by snarling Irish defenders in Christchurch.

Therefore, it begs the question? Whey can’t Ireland play like this every week? Kiss insisted he was trying to play the "passionate" Irish card, but sometimes this Irish team pull out a performance that comes from somewhere unexplainable.

"When the volume’s up, it’s phenomenal the efforts the boys come up with," he said. "That doggedness when it gets to that level and prevails is something else, that takes over.

"I don’t how to explain it, it’s unique to this team. It’s something that, when it gets there… it’s special."

So the question must be asked of Ireland’s defence guru, how can Ireland defend like headless chickens one week then put on a display of unrelenting ferocity seven days later? Kiss once again points to the top two inches — the mental state that every player must reach to be truly competitive against a team operating at the level of All Blacks.

He points to "silly errors" Ireland made in Eden Park and the pace of the game catching them out, and he found his troops adapted to the speed of the contest far quicker in Christchurch.

"When we worked out how to be in front of it early, to be ready early and speed of thought, speed of action and got a little bit more savvy in our contact work, we could put the game in a flow that we were in control."

The sounds emanating from the All Blacks camp since their last-minute victory have bordered on condescending. The overwhelming view for the Kiwis seems to be of the under-performing, cocky home side almost getting caught on the line by the plucky Irish. But Kiss overwhelmingly rejects that notion.

"Without a doubt they would have been a little surprised," Kiss explained "I’d like to qualify this. It wasn’t just passion, it was beyond that. In all honesty the way the guys took certain parts of the tactics and applied them on the game I thought was superb.

"How will they come back at it? I’m not totally sure."

After licking their wounds in Queenstown for a few days, the Irish team will depart for Hamilton on Thursday to prepare for the third instalment of what has developed into an enthralling series.

"Anything and everything is possible," said Kiss on this weekend’s final Test.

"I think we’ll be fine by what they’ve done so far this week."

Ireland’s heroics on Saturday morning resulted in the sale of over 2,500 tickets for the autumn internationals within a 48-hour period.

Within minutes of the final whistle in New Zealand, Irish Rugby Supporters’ Club members began snapping up tickets for the Guinness Series Tests against South Africa and Argentina in November.

Tickets are on general sale now at www.irishrugby.ie