Rassie Erasmus aims to keep Munster's momentum going

Rassie Erasmus broke into a broad smile when asked yesterday what Ireland should be doing to end the All Blacks’ 18 match run of wins at Soldiers Field, Chicago, on Saturday.

“If I knew I would probably have a...” he started before realising the futility of whatever he might say. Instead he highlighted the importance of making scoring opportunities count against the World Champions.

He explained: “In a Test match against New Zealand, you get four or five opportunities, you never get more than that, and whether it’s either three or five points, you must take them. They defend so well, if you get points from those four or five opportunities, you are in with a chance.

“I think the big name players and the big moment players, can take those chances for Ireland. But you don’t get 15, 16 opportunities which you get against other international sides. If you take those, you are in the mix.

“I think Australia was a great example, even South Africa at 12-9 in the last Test match turning at half-time. They were on the attack, they had the opportunity and they didn’t score there.

“The moment you are out of the match against the All Blacks, they punish you.”

Erasmus plans for Friday’s Guinness PRO12 game at Musgrave Park against joint leaders Ospreys without six players on international duty knowing other members of his squad believe they too should also be in America.

Are some feeling hard done by? “Hard done is probably the wrong word but the guys are disappointed,” he said.

“But that’s what the game is about. That’s the team Joe selected. I understand totally where he is coming from. The players take it on the chin and must work harder and play better. Nobody is negative, everybody is understanding it is really hard work to get into that national team because there are really good players in Ireland.”

Erasmus however, drew the line when asked to advise how Ireland should go about winning the day in Chicago. “For the last six or seven months I have just been focusing on Munster so I would be trying to be clever which I shouldn’t be now on a team that I haven’t analysed.”

Instead, he is focused entirely on the Ospreys, a crucial game for a Munster side hoping to build on splendid wins over Glasgow and Ulster.

“This is a very important week for us to keep the momentum going,” said Erasmus. “We don’t want a rollercoaster kind of season. In Ospreys we are playing a team that has scored most tries in the competition and has one of the best defences.

“It is going to be a severe challenge.”