Donal Lenihan: All Blacks under pressure but lack of exposure could hurt Ireland

Ireland face an All Blacks side in Chicago whose coach Scott Robertson is under pressure about suffering some eyebrow-raising defeats in the Rugby Championship. 

18 Irish players being involved with the Lions this summer means many of them will be undercooked for the clash with the All Blacks. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Watching New Zealand being torn apart by South Africa in their 43-10 demolition in Wellington last September - the Springboks won the second half 36-0 - only served to reinforce an opinion that had been fermenting in my mind throughout the Rugby Championship.

In addition to that record 33 point defeat was Argentina’s first ever victory over the All Blacks on home soil a few weeks earlier when they won 29-23 in Buenos Aires in front of an ecstatic home crowd.