All Blacks loom as Irish arrive in the danger zone

AS THE Ireland squad jetted in through the South Seas squall enveloping Auckland yesterday, it was a good thing they chose Singapore Airlines rather than the country’s host carrier, Air New Zealand, for the mammoth journey.

The top sports option on this month’s in-flight TV menu with Air New Zealand is a full, unedited 80-minute re-run of the first Test between the All Blacks and the British and Irish Lions in 2005.

Hot on the heels of back-to-back international defeats for the first time in almost two years, the last thing Ireland players needed to see was their skipper being pummelled into the Christchurch turf. Even on those tiny headrest screens – and five years on from the deed – the vision of Brian O’Driscoll being thrown around like a rag doll remains tough viewing.