blametheref says...

As well as being the best team around, NZ are fairly good at raising the stakes when it comes to occasion, they did it at the World Cup and it'll be the same, though on a different note, in Wellington, really the Mecca of rugby...I just hope Ireland don't get caught up in the occasion and thereby expose a soft underbelly, because after all the emotion NZ will be even more fired up than usual...quite a fearsome prospect for Ireland. If Ireland get another thrashing it could be a defining moment in "Ireland" rugby with a prospect of the same again in test 3. I believe Ireland are fatigued and a large part of that fatigue is actually fatigue with the coach and the tactics and ethos he has stubbornly asked these players and his coaching staff to play by, they don't even have a proper backs coach, if I'm correct. The reason for this is because Kidney stubbornly believes he knows better, but he doesn't. Just compare the consistancy, high ethos, belief and body language of Leinster taking the field as against this Irish team, they are eons apart. Why? Because they are not confident with those in charge, hence damaging belief, one of the most important ingredients in winning. Even with the great Brad Thorn among the Leinster ranks of late, he was just one of the team out to bust a gut for his team mates, even when he was playing from the bench. Thorn never got a man of the match with Leinster, he wouldn't have been bothered about such triviliaties, because like the All Blacks, Leinster play as complete unit from 1 to 15 with everyone knowing exactly their role, hence giving the team total belief. It's no surprise that they are coached by a tactically smart New Zealander who cannily stated that Leinster don't need big huge tank like backs, which are becoming the norm, because his smaller back were more skilled. Schmidt was installing true belief in his players, Kidney can't!

Posted 09:24 13th June 2012