Fitzgerald absence won't change Irish approach

Ireland see no reason why the introduction of Paddy Wallace to the starting line-up should drastically alter their game plan for Saturday’s Test against New Zealand.

Wallace was promoted from the bench today after centre Luke Fitzgerald was ruled out with an ankle injury which has been plaguing him since his arrival in Wellington.

It is another false start for the preferred duo of Fitzgerald and his Leinster team-mate Brian O’Driscoll after the Irish skipper missed the Barbarians game following the death of a close friend.

Fitzgerald has long been seen as the man to fill O’Driscoll’s boots once the Irish captain calls it a day and the pair had been planning to, in O’Driscoll’s words, “mix and match things and maybe play a bit of old school left and right” to keep the All Blacks guessing at Westpac Stadium on Saturday.

Ireland manager Joey Miles cannot see that intention changing even if the personnel have.

“We’ll be of the opinion that the original plan of mixing and matching will go ahead. Paddy will be able to contribute to that philosophy and theory and there’s no reason to doubt that that won’t happen.”

While it is a disappointing blow for Fitzgerald, who looked an exciting prospect at centre against the Barbarians, Ireland should not lose too much in midfield with the introduction of Wallace, whose place on the bench is taken by Leicester’s Geordan Murphy.

“You have to look at the skill set Paddy brings to the side. He is a very, very good footballer, not unlike Luke in many ways in the type of football he plays, and we’re comfortable enough with that situation. He has a pedigree of playing inside centre with his club Ulster.”

While training sessions this week have been kept short and snappy after what has been a long season, defence coach Graham Steadman has emphasised that the Irish players will need to work hard off the ball if they are to contain the All Blacks, who have huge attacking potential right across the park.

“With the light footwork and offload game that these guys can certainly play - given time and space – and execute it at the highest level, it will cause us problems.

“It’s important that we’re technically smart and we’re disciplined and play with composure throughout the 80, 85, 90 minutes whatever the case may be.”

There are plenty of intriguing match-ups to look forward to on Saturday - locks Ali Williams and Brad Thorn against Munster’s conquering heroes Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan, not to mention the midfield battle between Wallace and O’Driscoll and Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

But it will be how pivots Dan Carter, who is playing his first Test against Ireland, and Ronan O’Gara stamp their authority on the game that will go a long way to dictating the outcome.

O’Gara arrives in New Zealand with another Heineken Cup title under his belt, while Carter has come off a Super 14 title win with the Crusaders.

“He (Carter) is a class act and we know that,” Steadman said.

“He’s on the top of his game coming off the back of a grand final win with the Crusaders. He’s obviously playing with a lot of confidence.

“But the same can be said of Ronan O’Gara. It will be an interesting match-up and there’s going to several other interesting match-ups certainly in midfield.

“I’m very excited about it, there’s no greater challenge than New Zealand in their own back yard.”

Ireland have never beaten New Zealand in 20 attempts. They went close two year’s ago in the Tests in Hamilton and Auckland, which they eventually lost 34-23 and 27-17 respectively.