Compiled by GERRY THORNLEY
Squad rise early to watch another Irish pasting
WHILE THERE is widespread coverage of Euro 2012 on Sky Sports, given the time differences between New Zealand and both Poland and the Ukraine, the matches kick-off at 3.45am and 6.45am, local time. Ireland’s game with Croatia had the latter slot on Monday morning, although there was a repeat at 11am as well as hour-long daily highlights of the two overnight games.
Even so, several of the Irish squad set their alarms to watch the Croatian game. “I was up bright and early and I know a few of the players got up as well,” said manager Mick Kearney. “So obviously that was a pretty disappointing result.”
Poignant: AMI Test the All Black's first since earthquake
SATURDAY’S SECOND test in the rebuilt AMI Stadium will be the All Blacks’ first Test match in New Zealand’s second city since the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011, which badly damaged the stadium.
The first caused significant damage to Christchurch and the central Canterbury region, but no direct fatalities, whereas the second caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, and brought the deaths of 185 people, with the damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks.
With much of the city centre still out of bounds or to be rebuilt, the Ireland squad will be staying on the outskirts of the city at an airport hotel. The entire squad will visit the red zone following their arrival tomorrow morning before welcoming members of the Irish society that evening.
The cousin of Greg Feek’s fiancee was one of the casualties and in extending the squad’s sympathies to all those affected, manager Mick Kearney added: “Our thoughts would be there and we would be very conscious that the All Blacks are back there (for the first time) since the earthquake. So that’s obviously going to be a very emotional occasion for them but we would be very conscious of it as well.”
The February 2011 earthquake was part of a year-long earthquake swarm affecting the Christchurch area and was followed by a large aftershock on June 13th (which caused considerable additional damage) and a series of large shocks on December 23rd.
“Is fear of the earthquakes why you stayed up in Auckland?” asked one television reporter.
“No. Absolutely not,” said Kearney. “We just decided that we would wait and go down on Wednesday morning.”
Dismissive: New Zealand media had Irish written off
IT’S HARD to blame the New Zealand media if some dismiss the Irish challenge – hence Friday’s sports supplement in the New Zealand Herald asking: “Why should we fear the Irish?” All that was missing in the reporting of the All Blacks’ 42-10 first Test win was “the plucky Irish”. But give it time.
“The All Blacks need to work on their ABCs,” in reference to a Steve Hansen mantra, Assume – Believe – Confirm,” wrote the Herald’s chief rugby writer Wynne Gray, adding: “the Irish can see Another Beating Coming”.
“If there was any optimism that Ireland would offer a decent first-up inquisition at Eden Park, it evaporated against the force and pace of the All Blacks,” he continued. “Spectators who revel in blood sports will be hunting any last tickets for Christchurch and Hamilton, which have become must-attend venues for more Celtic gore.”
Writing under the headline: “Hapless Irish ripe for crushing”, columnist Chris Rattue wrote: “The Irish are in for one helluva hiding in the second Test, and heaven help them in the third. The forlorn hope a few of us old romantics had of an epic contest unfolding in this historic three-game series was laid to rest in the first half of the opening test at Eden Park.
“The Irish, battered and bruised after an unsuccessful season, ended up with more lumps knocked out of them and, the fact is, the lot that has ended up in this country isn’t good enough to beat the All Blacks anyway.”
