Ronan O’Gara: Japan isn’t the barometer, All Blacks will give a real gauge of where Ireland are

Ronan O'Gara at a Benetti Menswear promotional shoot: 'To see how Ireland played at the weekend caught me by surprise and it gave me huge optimism to watch this team going forward'

Ronan O’Gara loved what he saw from Ireland against Japan last weekend and the shot in the arm it gave to him and fellow supporters of the national side yet he is no doubt the real barometer of the team’s status comes Saturday against New Zealand.

The attacking verve displayed by Andy Farrell’s men in a nine-try, 60-5 demolition of the Brave Blossoms at Aviva Stadium four days ago came as a breath of fresh air to the former Munster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions fly-half whose heart had sunk at the drudgery of the fare dished out during the summer series between Warren Gatland’s Lions and South Africa.