Wallabies offer shot at redemption

IN just over six months, Ireland face the daunting task of playing New Zealand on successive weekends on their home patch.

The frightening prospect is that the hosts will be even more formidable than last Saturday as they continue the process of evolution towards the 2007 World Cup. With seven internationals before that date, it will be interesting to track Ireland’s progression to that critical point.

It’s a long time since I have seen such a depressed bunch of Irish players depart Lansdowne Road on the final whistle. In some respects they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves as the All Blacks have had that effect on most teams of late. Their only recent blemish was the defeat to South Africa in Cape Town last July. Tellingly, the Springboks are the only nation at present with the ability to match New Zealand in the physical stakes.