Andrew Trimble seeks perfect blend in bid to tame All Blacks

Andrew Trimble believes Ireland will need to walk a fine line between self-confidence and respect when they face the All Blacks in their international season opener in Chicago’s Soldier Field and again in Dublin two weeks later.

Steve Hansen’s world champions will have played half-a-dozen Rugby Championship games by the time they meet Ireland at Soldier Field on November 5 and the Kiwis looked ominous in trouncing Australia 42-8 in Sydney in their season opener last weekend.

“It’s important to have balance,” said Trimble after a 48-hour national camp this week. “From an Ulster point of view, whenever there’s a fear factor there, whenever we’re going away from home, everything has to fall into place. Whenever that’s there sometimes it produces a big performance.