With the prospect of three very long Saturdays, each starting at 8:35am, ahead for Irish sports fans, Ireland and NZ announced their respective teams for the first test at Waikato Stadium this morning. I for one as a man from the North West feel cleansed to have some top class rugby to watch where I'm not feeling just a little guilty about jumping aboard someone else's bandwagon.

Ireland Team:

Horan Flannery Hayes
     DO'C  PO'C
Best  Leamy  Wallace

     Stringer
          RO'G
            D'Arcy
               BO'D

Trimble       Horgan
      Murphy

Replacements:
Rory Best
Bryan Young
Mick O'Driscoll
Keith Gleeson
Isaac Boss
Denis Hickie
Girvan Dempsey

NZ Team:

Dermody Mealamu Hayman
   Jack  Rawlinson
Hollah So'oialo  McCaw

       Kelleher
          McAllister
            Mauger
               Nonu

Rokocoko       Howlett
       Muliaina

Replacements:
Anton Oliver
Neemia Tialata
Troy Flavell
Jerome Kaino
Jimmy Cowan
David Hill
Scott Hamilton

First things that struck me were Best at Blindside Flanker for Ireland and the strength of the All Blacks' starting line up. On reflection, Best is probably a good choice, I thought it likely Wallace might move across to 6 and Gleeson come in at Openside. However, using Best allows Wallace to stay in his favoured position. Maybe this switch will be deployed at some stage as Gleeson is among the replacements.

From reading the NZ press over the past week or so I think many over there expected Kaino and Flavell to also make their debuts on the starting 15, so there's maybe a respectful nod to the Irish challenge from the All Blacks selectors in starting Hollah and Jack.

The other thing that I noted from last week's mumblings from both camps was that some of the NZ staff were talking about improving their all round game, and their maul in particular was singled out. Couple this with Ireland actively trying to evolve to a more ball in hand game and there is more than a touch of irony about the shape of the respective gameplans, superficially at least.

For me, this is a massive game for the Irish tight five. The only part of the pitch where we possibly have some daylight between the opposing players in their respective positions are the locks, particularly with Rawlinson debuting there for NZ. So, O'Connell and O'Callaghan (aided by more of the same accuracy from Flannery in the lineout) need to make an impact on the game. Conversely, the front row in the tight exchanges is possibly where Ireland will be most vulnerable. It will take a monumental effort from these three Irish players to cling to parity there.

Flannery got a hard lesson in scrummaging 'smarter' against France in that 6N match earlier this season, and he has used this new found nous to good effect in games against more brutish front row oppenents in The Heineken Cup since. Ireland and Flannery in particular have to be as cute as the referee's humour will allow.

Also, we've got some real in-form quality on the bench in the guise of O'Driscoll, Gleeson and Dempsey. I'd like to see at least O'Driscoll and Gleeson used in an agressive manner, not as a last resort. Should Murphy have one of his 'mental block' days or Trimble find it too hot in the kitchen, I'd like to see Dempsey used.

As the players are all too well aware, a heavy defeat in the first test torpedos the whole tour, I'm sure they'll be busting a gut like never before to give us a performance to be proud of.

Just remember the oval balls on the day lads.



tags:rugby

Published by Paul.