Why Ireland must learn to twist the knife
Once again, it was a bridge too far, as this experimental All Blacks side turned the screw in the closing minutes of a tough battle that was finally decided in the 72nd minute.
When Luke McAlister charged through Ronan O’Gara’s tackle to dot down for New Zealand’s third try, which he converted, it gave New Zealand a 10 points buffer, enough to secure victory and enough to ensure Ireland left with nothing to show for a brave, but flawed effort.
It was brave because Ireland coughed up 17 points in the opening 26 minutes and recovered to make a real game of it; flawed because, yet again, they struggled to cope with the sheer physical power and technique of New Zealand in the scrums.
Australia will have noted Ireland’s problems at scrum time, and they will surely also target that area when the sides meet in Perth next Saturday. Coming off the back of two victories over England, and Ireland’s two losses, there should only be one winner.
Yet, former All Black great Grant Fox endorsed the view of coach Graham Henry when he said he believed Ireland are worth one victory on their southern hemisphere journey.
“We are very quick to compliment the courage of the Irish. This morning we should also tip our hats to their skill and nous. This is a good team that will run France close for group honours in their world cup pool. Ireland must be respected; not many teams would come back like they did at Eden Park.”
Henry was equally impressed. “Maybe the New Zealand public will now believe what I have been saying all along – that Ireland aren’t just brave; they’re bloody good. I hope, I pray, that they can go over to Australia and go home with a win!”
They won’t do so, however, with a scrum that creaked and buckled as much as it did on Saturday night. Australia, in their win over England, were forced into uncontested scrums on Saturday, but they will relish the prospect of challenging Ireland.
If weary Ireland, at the end of a long, hard, and otherwise successful season, are to engage in any hard work this week, it must be in this facet.
Yet, there were many positives as well. This was a closely fought encounter, even if New Zealand had most of the territory and possession for the second week in succession. Given the pressure they exerted, Ireland’s defence was superb. This was up in your face stuff, but more about organisation than just sheer passion.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw described it as one of the most physical games he has played in. “When these guys hit, they hit. There will be a lot of sore bodies after this, sometimes it was like running into a brick wall; you got up, thought there was a gap, and there was another wall. They really frustrated us and we had to call on every resource to find a way through them,” he said.
But Ireland did make errors, and New Zealand enjoyed another dream start, courtesy of Irish mistakes to get in for the first score after six minutes. Geordan Murphy was in two minds whether to kick or run, got himself in a twist and turned over possession. New Zealand hacked the ball downfield where Gordon D’Arcy was caught short of his line. Ireland eventually cleared to touch, but from the resultant line out win, maul and ruck, Byron Kelleher burrowed his way over. McAlister converted.
Without much ball and certainly without territory, Ireland continued to struggle while trying to do too much from inside their own half. Kelleher might well have gone in for another try after 22 minutes, but the All Blacks stretched the lead three minutes later, with a McAlister penalty, after Ireland lost their own throw to the line out.
From there, New Zealand turned up the heat; a delicate chip by Aaron Mauger forced Murphy to concede a line out that the All Blacks won, and Clarke Dermody battered his way through for the second try of the night, even if Chris Jack had clearly knocked on. McAlister converted for a 17 points lead.
Ireland at least got on the board after 34 minutes when Peter Stringer took a quick penalty and Paul O’Connell did the rest. O’Connell swivelled out of a tackle, got up after being knocked down, and drove through for a try at the posts. O’Gara converted, but then Ireland conceded another penalty to McAlister which pushed New Zealand into a 20-7 lead.
But Ireland were back in the game shortly afterwards. Two penalties, two line-outs and a driving maul yielded a try at the back of a maul for Jerry Flannery and O’Gara converted.
The out half brought Ireland to within three points with a penalty 11 minutes into the second half, and he nearly created a try with one of his trade-mark chips for Shane Horgan, only for Mils Muliaina to bring off a huge tackle on the winger.
But the game was up, and over, nine minutes from the end. New Zealand applied the pressure in the scrums, and when a driving maul was held up short they flashed the ball wide to McAlister, who drove over and above O’Gara’s despairing tackle for the third try that he converted himself.
Despite a late, late, rally, Ireland had no fuel left in the tank. They were left to rue that disastrous opening 20 minutes and to contemplate on just what they have to do to ever hope of beating the All Blacks. They had two good chances; they will probably never get such opportunities again.
: M. Muliaina, D. Howlett, C. Laulala, A. Mauger, J. Rokocoko, L. McAlister, B. Kelleher; C. Dermody, K. Mealamu, C. Hayman, C. Jack, T. Flavell, J. Kaino, R. So’oialo, R. McCaw, capt.
: G. Rowlinson for Flavell (52), A. Hore for Dermody, C. Newby for Kaino (both 65).
: G. Murphy, S. Horgan, B. O’Driscoll, capt, G. D’Arcy, A. Trimble, R. O’Gara, P. Stringer; M. Horan, J. Flannery, J. Hayes, D. O’Callaghan, P. O’Connell, N. Best, D. Leamy, D. Wallace.
: B. Young for Horan (72), G. Dempsey for Trimble (73), M. O’Driscoll for Best (74), I. Boss for Stringer (76).
: G. Dempsey for Murphy (46th-52nd)
: J. Kaplan (South Africa).
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