INTERNATIONAL TEST New Zealand 66 Ireland 28:A BLOODLESS COUP if ever there was one: even Jamie Heaslip's knee drew no blood.
His red card, coupled with Ronan O’Gara’s yellow and the 21 points that followed in those horrid, 10 first-half minutes, undoubtedly discoloured this fixture, but even so it was the blackest night for an Irish side in years.
Admittedly, when John Hayes withdrew with a virus to be replaced by Tony Buckley in a belated first start against frontline Test opposition, it took to a round dozen the number of current internationals unavailable to Declan Kidney for this game.
Not all would have been accommodated here mind, but even so Ireland were effectively without half their first-choice pack and all but one of their tight five. It’s been almost two decades since Ireland’s strength-in-depth has been tested to this extent; unsurprisingly, it was found wanting.
On a horror show for Ireland’s defence, gaps, bad alignment, poor line speed and players slipping off tackles were recurring themes.
And as is often the case when this happens, the work-rate of the tight five is an Achilles’ heel. This was the same frontrow that played in the winning final of last summer’s Churchill Cup (just as well Ireland aren’t competing in that this summer), and they came into this game with just 10 Test starts between them.
As with Mick O’Driscoll in the secondrow, it wasn’t their fault that they were so regularly exposed in open play. But they were. And struggling with a back spasm and tight hamstring when Dan Carter is running at you was a good cue for O’Driscoll to limp off.
The frontrowers all ought to be better for the experience, especially starting debutant Seán Cronin, whose gameness was admirable and who should arguably have been exposed more before Saturday night.
So too John Muldoon, whose bravery continued even after he sought to make one-arm tackles as his right one was fractured.
Of course, making definitive judgments, either collective or individual, is also hindered by this numerical imbalance. Ireland had been authors of their own 10-point deficit when they went through 13 phases as Gordon D’Arcy jinked and weaved and ducked to within inches of the All Black line.
Cue Richie McCaw lying all over the ball to prevent the recycle in time-honoured fashion. It’s a pity Wayne Barnes wasn’t as vigilant then, but Heaslip’s deliberate use of his knee left the English official with little option.
So, instead of 10-7 and game on, it was game over. Even the capacity 25,000 home crowd, revelling in West Plymouth’s only second international, went immediately quiet.
We’ll never know how the game might have panned out but for Heaslip’s ill-discipline, not to mention O’Gara’s subsequent off-the-ball tug on Corey Jane. Ireland certainly wouldn’t have conceded anything like as many points, but it still cannot fully explain the embarrassing extent of this defeat.
Even before the red card, Ireland looked weary, with nothing like the alertness and ambition of the fresher home side. The way Ireland almost switched off for a couple of quick throws – Rob Kearney effectively gave the ball to Jimmy Cowan for one of them – was indicative of their lack of urgency and concentration.
Having let the All Blacks set the tempo, Ireland then couldn’t live with that tempo. Losing the collisions, they were left gasping by lightening-quick All Black ruck ball.
While the pitch was greasy and sodden, the rain held off. This suited the ambition of the All Blacks, for whom debutant Israel Dagg looks a major find. His footwork, balance, pace and link play with the gifted Jane were reminiscent of Christian Cullen.
One of the learning curves of this tour is to become acquainted with the changed tackle law interpretations and re-emphasised offside line. It took Ireland the guts of a costly first-half to realise that this encourages teams to keep the ball in hand, rather than kick it away, and two missed penalties to touch by O’Gara, along with Brian O’Driscoll’s punt downfield off a turnover while Ireland were down to 13 men, were open invitations for Dagg and Jane to counter. They did not decline.
There has to be some merit in Ireland’s response to being 38-0 down after 34 minutes to thereafter share four converted tries. They thus became the first Irish side to score four tries against the All Blacks in 23 meetings.
Their work-rate off the ball, the manner they kept recycling and looked to offload, and the ever-willing constant probing of Trimble, D’Arcy, O’Driscoll, Buckley, Wallace et al while a man down had to be admired.
Trimble’s footwork and offloading skills are unrecognisable from a couple of years ago, and he, Tommy Bowe and Buckley at least matched the All Blacks for physicality.
Furthermore, this was four tries against opponents who had not conceded a single one in their four-game tour of Europe last November.
Unfortunately, they all came after the game was over and after the All Blacks began emptying their bench and dropped off in intensity. Like much about this encounter, it was all somehow quite unfulfilling, even for the decidedly disgruntled looking All Blacks’ coaches. Even the All Blacks don’t find bloodless coups satisfying.
NEW ZEALAND: I Dagg; C Jane, C Smith, B Stanley, J Rokocoko; D Carter, J Cowan; B Franks, K Mealamu, O Franks, B Thorn, A Boric, J Kaino, R McCaw, K Read. Replacements: V Vito for Kaino (38 mins), P Weepu for Cowan (h-t), S Whitelock for Thorn (50 mins), N Tialata for B Franks (52 mins), A Cruden for Carter (54 mins), A de Malmanche for Mealamu, Z Guildford for Jane (both 63 mins), B Franks for O Franks (70 mins).
IRELAND: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, A Trimble; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; C Healy, S Cronin, T Buckley, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, J Muldoon, D Wallace, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Jennings for Muldoon (31 mins), D Tuohy for M O'Driscoll (35 mins), E Reddan for O'Leary, J Sexton for O'Gara, G Murphy for Kearney (all 70 mins), J Fogarty for Cronin (75 mins), T Court for Healy (78 mins).
Red card: Heaslip (15 mins). Yellow card: O'Gara (24-34 mins).
Referee: Wayne Barnes(England).
