LIAM TOLAND RUGBY ANALYST:I CAN'T quite recall my first viewing of the haka, but the most vivid is Willie Anderson's famous confrontation in 1989. Since then I've sickened of all the debate. Surely it's time Irish rugby introduced the All Blacks to the Irish.
As Phil Lynott once said, "Do any of you girls want a little more Irish in you?" Why not embrace our Gaelic traditions to the full and put the Artane Boys up front with each team lined out behind.
Start out from Section 301 (my seat) and march a full lap, past the Cusack, the Davin and the Hogan stands right up to the Hill. Can you imagine the Pillar Caffrey above in the Hill?
That said, there's not a person in Ireland who would have predicted Declan Kidney's "first" Test side. Over the weeks I've been at nearly every dog fight in the country, where I've watched every province, maybe 100 players or more. Ulster entertained Munster one night in Belfast and beat the European Champions in a match in which several unknowns were unearthed. The Ulster backrow with Stephen Ferris and David Pollock were magnificent.
So this weekend's backrow has had serious competition, but was what everybody had wanted for RWC 2007. I roomed with Alan Quinlan 12 years ago for the Munster versus Western Samoa match, and what he's come through to arrive in Croke Park this weekend has been monumental. I thought 50 caps would flow easily for him, but it's a testament to his mental strength to have earned 26. Clearly his experience and voice will be vital all week leading to Saturday, not to mention the natural leader he is on the pitch. But he can be a real pain to play against, so sparks will fly.
A number of weeks back I suggested Tomás O'Leary was moving ever closer to his first Test start, as the ELVs have pushed him into the frame as an aggressive strike-runner in the Eoin Reddan mould but with a Peter Stringer pass. A hybrid of the two, if you will. This weekend his game management will be key as to whether he can control the ever-evolving world he now occupies.
Hats off to Kidney for his vision in mixing the old, the very old and the new. He has done this and managed a serious bench too, but I do have reservations about carrying only two specialist secondrows. That said, I can't recall Paul O'Connell or Donncha O'Callaghan having too many forced early finishes, so I suppose it's an acceptable level of risk.
However, the lineout is crucial to Ireland, particularly with Ali Williams in flying form for the All Blacks. He is their go to man, as Brad Thorn, a convert from rugby league, doesn't have the same quality in the air. Thorn, though, is some player on the ground, in the mould of Mick Galwey, barnstorming and rampaging. There's certainly scope for reducing the lineout numbers in defence to strengthen the 10 channel, where Dan Carter can do damage. Let them win it with an aggressive pull down.
The All Blacks bring a special quality to their tours, a quality not easy to quantify. But the Munster lads will understand that a jersey is a special motivator. Ireland will tog out with 617 caps against the All Blacks with 618, so there's not much difference in experience except the experience the All Blacks have in their jersey. Where the Irish are talking about how great it would be to win, the All Blacks are scared of losing. Since 1884, 1,083 have pulled on the famous jersey and tradition counts for a lot, not losing.
There are many battles to be fought all over Croke Park, but the obvious one is in the backrow between the sevens, David Wallace and Richie McCaw. Two world-class players but arriving to that mantle from different angles. In his preparation Wallace has spent many hours reviewing McCaw, but to me it's time wasted. The man to be reviewing is Mark Lawrence, the South African referee. Has the video nerd reviewed Lawrence's opinion of McCaw? I've watched McCaw several times this season between Tri-Nation and Super 14s with the new ELVs in mind, and what he gets away with is extraordinary. I know the Southern Hemisphere's take on them is different, but McCaw plays a totally different game, so much so referees are slow to ping him, believing he might know best. Watch him swing his body around the corner at the breakdown: brilliant, but legal?
Ronan O'Gara will continue his rivalry with Carter in the battle of the 10s, but the real battle will be between the 13 and 15 combinations. McCaw and Carter; yes, they are incredible, but for me Conrad Smith and Mils Muliaina are the real players to watch. Smith is a throwback to the past, slightly built but with devastating pace and brilliant peripheral vision, capable of off-loading to a charging Muliaina with ease. The Wellington centre will test Brian O'Driscoll's world-class defence to the maximum, and he, Luke Fitzgerald and Girvan Dempsey will need telepathic understanding to cope. A good reason for picking three club players in these key positions.
With over 50 caps, Muliaina has the explosive counterattack that the ELVs have craved. For those of you bemoaning the wisdom of the ELVs and the kicking they bring, feast your eyes on Joe Rokocoko, Sitivini Sivivutu and Muliaina in full flight.
Finally, it has been a sobering week in Limerick, but there's light and hope provided by many, such as Una Heaton and friends, who are arranging for 26,000 signs to be available for next Tuesday's Munster v New Zealand match. The signs will read: S H A N E.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
