Eoin Reddan too, a try scoring threat from the back of your powerful scrum. He's very athletic, very physical, deft hands for a big man and he makes a mean ham sandwich. Our line outs have been malfunctioning recently and that can only play into the hands of a world class technician like Mick O'Driscoll. Powerful scrummager and great speed for a prop. Tony Woodcock will be severly tested, again, by John Hayes. It would be gas if McCaw said "Yea, we're looking forward to this one. Dee winger with dee yellow hair, ehhh, Douff. Eh John O She-aaaah plays the Manchester.
Answers tend to be along the lines of: "Eh.who? Oh yes, eh, I like eh very much eh Roooobie Keenee. You can imagine Tony O'Donoghue licking his lips in excitment about asking someone like Kaka: "So, do you fear Ireland?". Every time Ireland plays against a European or world heavyweight, you tend to get people who sound either like Manuel from Fawlty Towers or Viggo Mortenson in Eastern Promises. Obviously though Mick O'Driscoll is a household name down there, and a feared lineout captain, they just don't want to let on. Somebody here, depressingly, put it "they're not playing us, they're playing against 15 guys at home who want to play for NZ". Just like in the case of his country's ailing economy, some urgent action is required.ĬiaranIrl wrote:You have to love the way they can only name one player in the team.įrom the Irish Times - McCaw says of Heaslip, "has some ability. Respected in New Zealand as one of the world's best centres – when he has a razor-sharp edge to his game – O'Driscoll's performance against the All Blacks at Aviva Stadium will be crucial to his side's fortunes.ĭeclan will be desperate for the bloke called "BoD" to provide it. Having almost succeeded in leading South Africa into a minefield the previous weekend, the Irish players' minds were strangely elsewhere against Samoa at Aviva Stadium.Īlso of concern will be captain Brian O'Driscoll's lack of zip.
Other areas of contention are wing, where Cory Jane is likely to play after injury ruled him out of the last two tests, and lock, with Tom Donnelly possibly to get another chance after Sam Whitelock started the last two tests.Īd Feedback In contrast, Ireland coach Declan Kidney's week has been complicated by last weekend's unconvincing 20-10 win over Samoa. Now the question is, just where does Henry go from here? The permutations are varied, although given Williams' dynamite effort at No 12, the coach must be tempted to retain him and perhaps give Ma'a Nonu a shot at centre. The All Blacks coaches have also discovered their happy place this week and with Sonny Bill Williams creating tremors around the rugby world following his Murrayfield performance, it is little wonder. He may not need it following last weekend's emphatic 49-3 dismantling of Scotland, but if head coach Graham Henry needs some tranquil surroundings to ponder his selections, this place would be the place to do it. Stationed at the luxurious Castleknock Hotel and Country Club, a palatial complex overlooking a manicured golf club whose membership caters for the region's wealthy constituents, the New Zealanders are cocooned away from the harsh realities of the battered Irish economy.Īnd being based in the countryside does not just shelter the All Blacks from any economic realities it also ensures their bus only has to negotiate narrow stone-walled lanes instead of traffic snarls as they motor towards the nearby training ground. It is only when you travel to Ireland, previously the darling of the European Union, that you realise how grim things could have been for New Zealand the banks are reportedly having trouble getting money, leaving the Irish government to contemplate asking for dosh from the EU emergency fund to fend off a threatened bailout of the state.īut for the All Blacks, who are based on the outskirts of Dublin until Thursday, there is little evidence of the financial turmoil which has put a bullet between the eyes of the Celtic Tiger. With their economy taking a hammering, Ireland's banking system has virtually collapsed and left financial institutions almost totally reliant on the European Central Bank, which has extended 100 billion Euros to date, for funds to continue their daily business.
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As the All Blacks already know, things are rather grim in Ireland just now.Īny All Blacks flicking through their TV channels or newspapers after arriving in Dublin on Sunday will have soon realised just how fortunate New Zealand has been to avoid some major carnage following the global downturn.