A bit of Irish madness, please

TO HAVE any chance of competing against this New Zealand side, Ireland will have to make life difficult for them at the breakdown this evening at the Aviva Stadium.

While most professional teams spend hours perfecting their set-piece game, New Zealand place their primary focus on winning the battle in the contact area.

Every New Zealand player, regardless of whether he is a front row forward or a winger is made acutely aware of his role at the breakdown — when to commit and clean out bodies, when to stand off and defend or how they can contribute to winning vital turnover. No side in the game at present have a better ratio of converting turnovers into points on the board.