O'Driscoll hoping to reach dizzy heights for real

New Zealand v Ireland:MAYBE IT'S the toll of the season.

Maybe it’s the jet lag and the sleep deprivation. Maybe it’s the weather, autumnal Auckland having given way to the wild west of New Plymouth. But in any event, Ireland appeared to have more than their normal share of scares on the eve of their latest meeting with the All Blacks.

At yesterday’s captain’s run in the Yarrow Stadium there was no captain for starters, Brian O’Driscoll having remained in the team hotel before attending the press conference, where he allayed fears of his participation but still caused more than a modicum of concern by confessing he was suffering from “a bit of dizziness”.

“The last time this happened was after the Grand Slam match (in Cardiff, March 2009) when I was sick and I couldn’t go to the dinner that night,” he recalled, “but I was grand. I just felt a little bit dizzy yesterday and took some medication and went to bed. I’ll be grand, yeah,” he said, when allaying any fears that he mightn’t be able to play.

Gordon D’Arcy, who has been troubled by a groin strain for the last few weeks of the season, also sat out the light captain’s run, as did John Hayes, who could be seen talking at length with Declan Kidney. Nothing unusual there, for the Bull often sits out the captain’s run.

Time was when Ireland-New Zealand games had more novelty value to them, but due to the increased number of meetings in the last decade no generation of Ireland players has suffered at the hands of the All Blacks as regularly as the current lot.

All told, a dozen of today’s starting Ireland team have experienced losing to the All Blacks, albeit some more than others. In addition to O’Driscoll, who has lost to the All Blacks seven times with Ireland and of course once with the Lions, Hayes has been on Ireland sides losing to the All Blacks eight times, Ronan O’Gara seven times, David Wallace and Donncha O’Callaghan five times each, Tommy Bowe and Mick Driscoll (all on the bench) three times, Andrew Trimble, Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip twice each, and Tomás O’Leary once.

Even four of the bench have been in losing match-day 22s at least twice, or in Geordan Murphy’s case, five times. That’s some historical baggage, all right.

Driscoll maintained the key was to compete fully for 80 minutes, whereas in previous meetings they’ve failed to do so or “the All Blacks have put extra pressure on us in the last 20, and we have to play as much attacking rugby as possible”.

That was not likely to be helped by the conditions and Driscoll cited the old maxim, also used by Kidney, that packs decide matches, while Kidney repeated his assertion that Ireland’s day will come. “I would have huge confidence in Irish players, that’s why I took the job. Some time it’s going to happen. It would be nice to be around when it did. It’ll be a good party.”

Replacements

NEW ZEALAND: Aled de Malmanche, Neemia Tialata, Sam Whitelock, Victor Vito, Piri Weepu, Aaron Cruden, Zac Guildford.

IRELAND: John Fogarty, Tony Buckley, Dan Tuohy, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton, Geordan Murphy.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).

Previous meetings: Played 22 – New Zealand 21, Ireland 0, Draws 1.

Last five meetings: (2005) Ireland 7 New Zealand 45. (2006) New Zealand 34 Ireland 23, New Zealand 27 Ireland 17. (2008) New Zealand 21 Ireland 3; Ireland 3 New Zealand 22.

Last five games: New Zealand – 32-19 v Australia (Japan); 19-12 v Wales (a); 20-6 v Italy (a); 19-6 v England (a), 39-12 v France (a). Ireland – 29-11 v Italy (h); 10-33 v France (a); 20-16 v England (a); 27-12 v Wales (h); 20-23 v Scotland (h).

Betting: New Zealand 1/10, 30/1 Draw, 11/2 Ireland. Handicap odds (Ireland +13pts) 10/11 New Zealand, 25/1 Draw, 10/11 Ireland.

Forecast: New Zealand to win.