New Zealand expect tougher contest against Ireland

HALFWAY through his team’s bid to complete another Grand Slam tour Graham Henry is anticipating a much tougher examination next weekend than the All Blacks were subjected to at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The world’s leading side was expected to be tested by a resurgent Scotland team that was unbeaten in four matches but swept them aside 49-3, scoring seven tries to nil.

However, Henry felt there were mitigating factors and immediately warned his men to be on their guard against an Ireland side that scrambled past Samoa to win its first match in five.

“For sure it will be a tougher game against Ireland next week,” the All Blacks’ head coach said.

“I think Andy Robinson, (Scotland’s head coach) would agree that to come out and play the All Blacks in your first game for five months must be a huge task and it wouldn’t be easy.

“They haven’t played for a long time... since June, so they were bound to be pretty rusty. The Irish have played two Test matches and I think they’ll be primed and ready to go.”

Ireland will be, as Scotland were, looking for a first ever victory over New Zealand. There were, however, ominous signs that the All Blacks are approaching their very best again.

“I’m pretty pleased,” Henry, who has steered his team to two of their three previous home unions Grand Slams, said. “There are things we’ve worked on for the last week - building pressure and making better decisions - and we didn’t let the opposition off the hook like we perhaps did last week.

“I think we were a bit more physical than we have been for a little while and after some tough Test matches I was beginning to wonder whether the real edge was still there. I think we saw that it is.”

The home side took the lead through a Dan Parks penalty, but the visitors replied with seven converted tries.

Hosea Gear and Mils Muliaina both scored two apiece, while Dan Carter, Conrad Smith and Andy Ellis also crossed the line.

Carter converted five of the tries to finish with 15 points, while replacement fly-half Stephen Donald kicked the remaining four points.

Scorers for Scotland: Pens: D. Parks.

SCOTLAND: H. Southwell; R. Lamont, M. Evans, G. Morrison, S. Lamont; D. Parks, M. Blair; A. Jacobsen, R. Ford, E. Murray; R. Gray, J. Hamilton; K. Brown, R. Vernon, J. Barclay.

Replacements: N. Walker for R. Lamont (40), R J.ackson for Parks (67), G. Laidlaw for Blair (38), S. Lawson for Ford (65), A. Dickinson for Murray (65), N. Hines for Hamilton (40), R. Rennie for Brown (65).

Scorers for New Zealand: Tries: Gear 2, Carter, Muliaina 2, Smith, Ellis. Cons: Carter 5, Donald 2.

NEW ZEALAND: M. Muliaina; I. Toeava, C. Smith, S.B. Williams H. Gear; D. Carter, J. Cowan; T. Woodcock, H. Elliot, O. Franks; B. Thorn, S. Whitelock; L. Messam, R. McCaw, K. Read.

Replacements: S. Donald for Carter (51), A. Ellis for Cowan (58), A. Hore for Elliot (61), J. Afoa for Franks (54), A. Boric for Thorn (57), D. Braid for McCaw (57).

Attendance: 56,807

Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU).