By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE in Wellington - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 03 June 2008
Ireland coach Michael Bradley believes that if his side play to their potential they stand a good chance of breaking their duck against the All Blacks but neither he nor captain Brian O'Driscoll buy into suggestions they are facing a vulnerable New Zealand team.
The player drain that has swept a core of experience from the All Blacks and the resulting new-look squad suggest there may never have been a better time for Ireland to win their first match against New Zealand after 19 losses and a draw since 1905.
Quietly you sense that the tourists realise they have a grand chance of creating history but they certainly don't want to be weighed down by expectations like that.
In their starting XV the Irish have selected eight players from the Munster team that won the European Cup, a further five from the Leinster side that won the Magners League and they have a halfback with an English Premiership to his name after Wasps' win last weekend.
They are hoping that winning culture can eradicate the shock of last year's World Cup disappointment and an average Six Nations campaign that followed.
The Irish failed to make the World Cup playoffs but while they were drowning their sorrows, they watched the All Blacks quickly exit in the quarter-finals in arguably the biggest upset in the tournament's history.
It all adds up to an intriguing clash in Wellington on Saturday night as New Zealand's international season opens with Graham Henry's side desperate to start their new era in style.
But the Irish are just as focused on turning their fortunes around as they settle into a new beginning following the axing of coach Eddie O'Sullivan.
"If we do our business correctly and accurately – in discipline and defence – there is no reason why we can't win the match and then we roll on to the Australian game and use the same process there," said Bradley who is merely warming the Irish coaching seat before Munster maestro Declan Kidney steps in.
"I think it's very strong and exciting Irish team team. There's a lot of experience in the pack and you are going to need that against New Zealand.
"Then there is a lot of speed and talent in the backline so there is good balance. And they are a group of players who are used to winning."
But Bradley quickly qualified that by adding: "It's going to be difficult. History would show that New Zealand with its traditions would be the spiritual home of international rugby with massive pride and conviction from the people and the players as a totality. You feel it everywhere you go."
O'Driscoll had heard suggestions here that the time was ripe for some long overdue Irish success.
"But you don't buy into that too much. Sure they are perhaps going into a bit of a transitional period but when you have that amount of players to choose from (as New Zealand) guys have to really be at their best to get into the squad," said O'Driscoll.
"Players tend to knit with other good players and that's what makes them such a lethal combination every single time they go out to play. You rarely see a weak All Blacks team."
Yet O'Driscoll, a late arrival to New Zealand after the death of a close friend last week that ruled him out Ireland's warmup win over the British Barbarians, likes the feel of what is going on around him in the green camp.
"There are guys that are getting back to winning things. When you put that into a melting pot it's a great combination to have. If we can just transfer that across to the international stage ... it's the big if but we definitely have the player capabilities. It's just a matter of marrying things together."
Both coach and captain were quick to put the pressure on the All Blacks.
"I don't think there's much pressure on us at all," said O'Driscoll.
"I don't think there will be a huge level of expectation back home. We have never beaten the All Blacks and people are probably wondering why this has to be the time," said O'Driscoll.
"They (New Zealand) are the ones who have the record and a greater level of expectation than we have. So I think the pressure is back on them."
Most interest in the Irish selection centred around O;'Driscoll and his new midfield partner, the highly promising youngster Luke Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald has to shrug off an ankle injury but it appears the pair will line out together and O'Driscoll can't wait.
"He's such an exciting talent and for such a young guy he has confidence in abundance. That will alleviate any nerves a lot of people in his position might feel," said O'Driscoll.
Most of Fitzgerald's senior rugby has been at wing or fullback but he was a schoolboy star at centre. O'Driscoll will carry the No 13 jersey out of habit and said he expected he and Fitzgerald to swap regularly between centre and second five.
"We will mix and match things, maybe play a bit of old school left and right."
O'Driscoll, a regular visitor to New Zealand in recent times as captain of the 2005 British and Irish Lions and the 2006 Irish side, said there was little doubt in his mind that he would make the trip despite the tragedy that had happened around him.
"It was a brutal week in my life and a lot of my friends' lives. It came as a shock and rugby was secondary for that period of time. My friend's dad said he expected me to go on tour and that's all that convinced me."
IRELAND: 15 Robert Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Luke Fitzgerald, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Marcus Horan. Reserves: 16 Rory Best, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Mick O'Driscoll, 19, Shane Jennings, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Paddy Wallace, 22 Girvan Dempsey.
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