Ireland believe they have their best chance yet of finally beating New Zealand when they tackle their new-look side in Wellington on Saturday.
The closest the Irish have come to beating the All Blacks in 20 meetings dating back to 1905 was when they drew 10-10 in Dublin in 1973.
But Ireland’s players think they have a real chance of ending the drought against a New Zealand team just starting to rebuild after last year’s World Cup flop.
“There’s a confidence and a belief within Irish players that if we play to our potential we certainly have a good chance,” Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan told the NZPA after training today.
“It’s always a hard game and certainly the All Blacks will always be favourites when they play Ireland but we play every game to win and Saturday will be no different.”
New Zealand, who were knocked out in the World Cup quarter-finals after going into the tournament as favourites, have included six uncapped players in their squad for this season.
Coach Graham Henry has also recalled four players who were not at the World Cup, giving the team a fresh look.
However, Ireland flanker David Wallace warned that while his team were quietly confident of springing an upset, they were under no illusions about the ability of the new players.
“It’s a breeding ground for rugby players, they seem to always have a strong team because of their strength and depth,” he said.
“It’s always very difficult to beat them, of course we never have.
“The guys who’ve come in are probably just as good and probably hungrier, so I don’t think it’s going to be any less intimidating.”
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Dublin Dave said | June 3rd 2008 @ 10:02am | Report comment
From the comfort of my computer desk I cannot ascertain what the bookies’ odds are for next Saturday, but I reckon I’ll be having a flutter on Ireland assuming they are longer than evens. Which they may not be for a two horse race.
The only grounds? That the current win loss ratio in favour of New Zealand is a statistical anomaly. Yes. Historically they are way better than us but zero wins in 103 years is not a fair reflection of the relative strengths of the two countries.
One Irish win in 103 years and 20-odd matches is a much more accurate representation of the truth.
And if it doesn’t come up this time, I’ll back Ireland to bet them in Dublin later on this year. I’ll be quids in sooner or later
Ben from Pretoria said | June 3rd 2008 @ 7:16pm | Report comment
Before you can even dream about beating the All Blacks in NZ you have to believe that you are one of the top 3 sides on earth and even then it is probably the toughest assignment in world rugby. The Northern Hemisphere must get a wakeup call after their club comps and taste real fear in the south. Welcome to hell boys!
Dublin Dave said | June 3rd 2008 @ 7:38pm | Report comment
Toughest assignment in world rugby? Of course it is.
Could one of the top five or six teams (I really don’t know what our exact rating is now) do it on a good day with a favourable bounce of the ball and maybe the referee missing a forward pass call or two? You better believe it.
We’ll have to get lucky, but then we’ve been waiting 103 years for that. Laws of probability old boy.
!
Ian Noble said | June 4th 2008 @ 8:12pm | Report comment
Ben
Apprehension, unpredictablity and the challenge are all traits of the International game. Fear is not an issue as these guys have played in big matches and are experienced enough to handle the pressures, it is more of question of whether they will turn up on the day.
Personally I think arriving in NZ with only a few days to acclimatize is not enough time for the Irish or any NH team., and is probably a reflection of the modern day schedule placed on on the international player to meet the requirements of TV. Gone are the days of a couple of warm up games to shake off the cobwebs, which I have always felt had enormous benefit for the growth of the game in the host country. I am pleased to see the Lions in 2009 visiting SA will be playing games against provincial sides before the Tests as well as maintaining the traditional mid week games.