Braced for red-hot Maori welcome
Touring New Zealand remains the most demanding of all rugby experiences. It is always the same.
When you arrive they greet you with the traditional Maori ‘Hongi’, a nose-rubbing ceremony, a symbol of welcome. For the remainder of your stay however they do everything to rub that same nose in the dirt.
Ireland found this out once more to their cost in New Plymouth on Saturday. With the World Cup coming into sharp focus and question marks being raised very close to home about New Zealand’s place in the global order, Graham Henry’s men are on a mission.
Whether they succeed in securing the only prize that will satisfy their rugby-mad public, only time will tell. Between now and then, however the spotlight will be firmly on them as their every move will be scrutinised in the build-up to that tournament by an expectant and demanding following.
Unfortunately, Ireland were the first victims of the march towards their ultimate goal last weekend. You can gauge the mood of an All Black side by the ferocity of their Haka. It was clear from then that they were up for this contest.
Such was the pace and quality of ruck ball that they managed to produce in the opening 10 minutes that even if Jamie Heaslip had lasted the full game, Ireland would still have struggled to compete.
The basic requirement for touring New Zealand is that you must first earn the respect of your hosts on and off the field. If their rugby fans sense that you are not up to the job then you will be open to ridicule everywhere you go. There is simply no hiding place. In every hotel, shop, pub or public park, they will not be slow in verbalising their opinions. The 2005 Lions found this out to their cost very early on. That hostility translates itself in a very critical local media and you quickly get the feeling the whole country is against you. The Irish squad will be subjected to this type of examination all week in the build up to the game against the Maori because of what happened last weekend.
While much has been made of the injury crisis that has depleted the squad, it is worth noting that the team selected to play Saturday was only short four of Ireland’s first-choice team, namely Jerry Flannery, Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris and one from Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald. That extended to five when John Hayes cried off due to illness before the match but one could argue that Tony Buckley played his best ever representative game in the absence of the Bull. It did help that there was only nine scrums in the match. In addition Andrew Trimble also had an excellent game. The facts are that New Zealand were short far more first-teamers than Ireland.
The loss of Heaslip was catastrophic followed as it was soon after by the binning of Ronan O’Gara. During his absence, the All Blacks seized the momentum and went into overdrive, scoring 21 points. Once the dam is cracked, it becomes very difficult to hold back the tidal wave that is sure to come. Ireland will console themselves this week with the courage displayed in adversity in the last 30 minutes and attempt to build on that for Friday’s examination.
I think however that the management have made an error in summoning young Rhys Ruddock to shore up their injury and suspension difficulties in the back row. Both the Maori and Australia will be very strong in this area and Ireland needed someone with a track record, someone who would lift spirits when he arrived in the team room last Monday.
I believe, in such circumstances, Alan Quinlan, Neil Best or even Roger Wilson would have been a better option.
Ruddock is a fine young player in the making but when he arrives at his first squad session the majority of the players won’t have ever met him before. While he was competent in the two U20 World Cup games that I saw last week against France and England, he did nothing to suggest that he is ready for an examination of this nature. In many respects I think it is unfair on the player as he was also the captain of that Irish U20 side and has only three games for Leinster clocked up. Furthermore it is inevitable Ireland will suffer more injuries and the back row is always the most vulnerable sector.
On a difficult weekend for Irish rugby, it was even more significant that Ruddock’s fancied underage squad, who did so well in capturing their Six Nations’ championship in March, lost all three games in their pool against France, England and Argentina. They have some quality players, a number of whom have been earmarked for greater things, but unfortunately never showed their talents in any of those contests. On the other side of the draw their counterparts from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have displayed such quality and athleticism which suggests the divide between the northern and southern hemispheres is set to widen once again.
Now Declan Kidney must steel his troops for an examination of a different kind on Friday. Tradition dictates that the Maoris play without inhibition and run the ball as often as possible. If they succeed in breaking the tackles and offloading with the same regularity as their senior counterparts last weekend then it could be a long night in Rotorua.
