NEW ZEALAND 42 IRELAND 10:THE IRISH squad conducted their 'recovery' session yesterday morning on Takapuna beach, but the recuperative powers from the surf will need to have been miraculous. Moving into the 50th week of their season and on to Christchurch next Wednesday in advance of Saturday's second Test against what is sure to be a highly charged All Blacks outfit, the challenge ahead is daunting.
For the wounds from Saturday’s first Test in Auckland were as much psychological as they were physical. Against a country they have never beaten in 107 years and now 25 attempts, it’s hard to see how a mentally scarred and weary group can possibly make themselves believe that elusive first win is in range now, for it looked as far away as ever after this demoralising defeat.
Once again, Ireland had a go, but with their mental baggage of playing the men in black, once again heads dropped and in the last three meetings the average New Zealand winning margin has been 30 points, scoring 18 tries to seven.
Operating with a smaller talent pool, Ireland went into this game missing three key forwards, and blooded a rejigged backline with a debutant winger while reaching deep into a relatively thin cupboard for two debutant tight-heads.
Ireland’s average age was just under 26, with Brian O’Driscoll the only thirtysomething.
By contrast, the All Blacks’ new coaching ticket overhauled their World Cup winners even more radically and their average age was just above 26 while, even more unusually, they boasted 527 caps to Ireland’s 414.
The All Blacks also introduced three new caps. The difference was that they were in-form players around 15 games into their seasons with in-form provinces and the trio’s comparisons with previous greats appeared entirely valid.
Julian Savea grabbed the headlines with an 18-minute hat-trick, the first for an All Black debutant in seven years and the first ever New Zealand hat-trick against Ireland. The quick 23-year-old powerhouse looked the part, though there’s no telling how long an All Black winger’s career lasts such is their litany of flyers (he has a younger brother who is reputedly better).
The other two, 21-year-old Brodie Retallick and especially 23-year-old scrumhalf Aaron Smith, look set to stay, despite the latter heading a new battalion of number nines. In a serenely polished display, it was hard to recall Smith not getting to one breakdown or not putting his pass swiftly into Dan Carter or, when they stepped in as first receiver, the fleet-footed Israel Dagg and Sonny Bill Williams.
It helps mind, when you have the likes of Richie McCaw (possibly the world’s best ever openside) and Carter (ditto at outhalf) as the team’s totems.
Early days, but without being disrespectful to Peter Stringer and others, Smith already looks better than any scrumhalf Irish rugby has ever produced.
The net effect was that the All Blacks, extending their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 29 games, played at a tempo and intensity none of these Irish players would have experienced all season.
As one of them put it, he’d maybe encountered such physicality, or such speed, but not the two together.
Faced by such direct, straight lines of running and width, and perhaps especially fearful of Williams’ dynamic, offloading game, the Irish defence compounded miscommunication by becoming too passive and narrow. Fergus McFadden especially was sucked in too readily for a couple of Savea’s tries, but he and Simon Zebo were left more exposed than undressed mannequins in a shop window.
Competitive though Ireland were at the breakdown (forcing eight turnovers to three), it didn’t help the defence that the All Blacks’ recycling and Smith’s service put them on the back foot for much of the night.
With the All Blacks enjoying 60 per cent of the possession and territory, overall you could not fault the Irish effort and endeavour. In this the trojan Seán O’Brien led the way with 18 tackles and eight carries, followed by Jamie Heaslip (13 and eight), Cian Healy and Donnacha Ryan. Ireland made 197 tackles in all, missing 11, while the All Blacks missed only three of 90, but perhaps the most revealing stat was the All Blacks ‘busted’ tackles: 11 to Ireland’s three. Win the collisions, win the match.
In truth, Mike Ross wouldn’t have dramatically altered this outcome.
Declan Fitzpatrick started brightly, making one exceptional tackle on Williams to prevent him offloading, before fading and giving way to Ronan Loughney.
With Healy also injured, the scrum wilted after the replacements came on but until then, save for two indirect penalties against Conor Murray for delayed feeds, the problem wasn’t the scrums, nor was it the lineout, where both teams secured their own ball cleanly.
Ireland began positively enough and sought to put width on the ball, albeit a little laterally at times, with Keith Earls carrying enthusiastically and threateningly. Both he and Zebo were nearly through but for last-ditch tackles.
But while Murray’s corner flagging and strength prevented two tries, his running game was hardly ever employed as almost everything went through Jonathan Sexton; in which case it would make more sense to utilise the swifter service of Sexton’s Leinster partner, Eoin Reddan.
Granted, after an error-strewn third quarter during which they coughed up the ball repeatedly – with even Brian O’Driscoll and O’Brien culpable – when they then attacked more narrowly they just ran into brick walls.
O’Driscoll admitted that having missed the Six Nations this had been a massive step up from Rabo League and Heineken Cup rugby.
The other scary thing is that these remodelled All Blacks actually left a few tries behind, with Kearney, another strong performer, preventing another two with try-saving tackles on Zac Guildford and, in overtime, Dan Carter. These ABs are almost certain to improve. Somehow, Ireland have to do so as well.
NEW ZEALAND:I Dagg; Z Guildford, C Smith, SB Williams, J Savea; D Carter, A Smith; T Woodcock, A Hore, O Franks; B Retallick, S Whitelock; V Vito, R McCaw (capt), K Read. Replacements: A Thomson for Vito (46 mins), A Williams for Retallick, B Smith for Guildford (both 52 mins), P Weepu for A Smith (57 mins), H Elliot for Hore, B Franks for O Franks (both 62 mins), A Cruden for Savea (64 mins).
IRELAND: R Kearney (Leinster); F McFadden (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster), Keith Earls (Munster), S Zebo (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster); D Tuohy (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster); P O'Mahony (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: R Loughney (Connacht) for Fitzpatrick (56 mins), R O'Gara (Munster) for Sexton (57 mins), D O'Callaghan (Munster) for Tuohy, K McLaughlin (Leinster) for O'Mahony, E Reddan (Leinster) for Murray (all 62 mins), S Cronin (Leinster) for Healy (72 mins), D Cave (Ulster) for Earls (73 mins).
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).
AUSTRALIA 27, WALES 19: Wallabies bounce back to end Wales’ unbeaten run
GETHIN JENKINS claims Wales will be a better team for being knocked off “cloud nine” by Australia.
The veteran prop admitted the Welsh had arrived Down Under elated at their Grand Slam-winning performances in the Six Nations, but now he believes the hard lessons doled out in the 27-19 defeat in Brisbane will be beneficial in the long run.
The Wallabies hit back from their shock midweek 9-6 defeat to Scotland to put in an impressive performance on Saturday, leaving Wales with plenty to do to get back into the three-Test series.
And their task was made even tougher by the news Toby Faletau is out of the rest of the tour after breaking his hand in the game.
“For a lot of the youngsters it was the first time they had played in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Jenkins. “Some of them were still walking on cloud nine a bit after winning the Grand Slam at home.
“But we all learned it is a different kettle of fish and you do well to win in the Southern Hemisphere. People had been talking us up but I realise how hard it is to play against Australia, even when they are missing a few quality players.”
Defeat brought to an end to Wales’ six-match unbeaten run this year and will leave caretaker coach Rob Howley with plenty to work to do.
Wales meet Super League outfit the Brumbies on Tuesday – lock Luke Charteris the only survivor from Brisbane – before heading to Melbourne for the second Test.
Howley has called up Melbourne Rebels’ Gareth Delve from outside his original 34-man squad as a replacement for Faletau, who will fly home due to his injury.
Former Gloucester captain Delve won the last of his 11 caps in 2010, and he was at yesterday’s game in a radio commentary capacity. Wing George North will undergo intensive treatment on a haematoma to his thigh in a bid to get him fit for the Melbourne match. North was forced off during the first half of Saturday’s encounter, and he is crucial to Wales’ hopes in the series.
Australia 27( Tries: Higginbotham, Genia, McCabe. Cons: Barnes 3. Pens: Barnes. Drop Goals: Barnes)
Wales 19 (Tries: Cuthbert. Cons: Halfpenny. Pens: Halfpenny 4)
SOUTH AFRICA 22 ENGLAND 17: Lancaster sees positives despite defeat
ENGLAND HEAD coach Stuart Lancaster claims his players already have their minds set on revenge after their narrow first Test loss to South Africa in Durban.
Lancaster’s side were edged out 22-17 by the Springboks in the opening game of their three-match series at Durban’s Kings Park.
The challenge now gets tougher with the second Test taking place at altitude in Johannesburg and the Springboks’ limited preparation time no longer a factor, but Lancaster insists players are far from disheartened.
He said: “The boys are disappointed because they lost. They want to win, that is the primary emotion at the moment.
“But when we look back on it, at half-time we were definitely in a positive mindset and we felt we had the better of the first half, even though it was only 6-6.
“The boys are certainly very positive and the good thing is we have already seen one or two areas we can fix up . . . They are not downcast and they are feeling there is no chance of turning up next week and not winning.
“If anything, this will be their motivation to right the wrongs we did in this game.”
England fought hard in the first half and twice led with Owen Farrell penalties but both were cancelled out by Morne Steyn.
The Springboks upped the tempo after the break and relentless pressure eventually told as Steyn and new captain Jean de Villiers broke through for tries.
England responded with two more Farrell penalties but another two from Steyn put the game beyond them despite an impressive late consolation from Ben Foden in the corner.
Lancaster has transformed England after last year’s dismal World Cup and feels the new faces he has introduced will be better for the experience. Forwards Joe Marler and Tom Johnson both worked hard on their debut while fullback Mike Brown shone on his return to the starting line-up, although he has a thumb injury which will have to be assessed.
South Africa-born centre Brad Barritt is England’s other injury concern after leaving the field in the second half with a facial injury.
South Africa 22(Tries: M Steyn, de Villiers. Pens: M Steyn 4)
England 17(Try: Foden. Pens: Farrell 4)
