Rugby/ International tests:THE IRISH squad limped on to Rotarua from New Plymouth to be greeted with a traditional Maori welcome in readiness for Friday's rendezvous with the Maoris. But the wounds, both mental and physical, run deep in the fall-out from the 66-28 defeat to the All Blacks.
Already without a dozen internationals going into Saturday’s chastening experience, James Heaslip and John Muldoon have been ruled out of the remainder of the tour: the former has been suspended for five weeks following his 15th-minute red card for foul play, while Muldoon has had an operation on a fractured arm.
Typical of sport’s capacity to turn everything on its head, Heaslip’s tour and outstanding season have been prematurely ended in a degree of shame. It’s all in stark contrast to his stunning Lions form of last summer.
Heaslip became the first Irish player to be sent off since Willie Duggan and Wales’ Geoff Wheel were dismissed at Cardiff Arms Park in 1978 when the number eight was red-carded by Wayne Barnes for using his knee to strike All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Along with manager Paul McNaughton, he remained in New Plymouth for a high noon hearing before IRB judicial officer Michael Cashman of Australia. The player admitted breaching Law 10.4 (a) for twice striking Richie McCaw with his knee, but denied striking the player’s head.
However, Cashman determined the first strike was to the head, but, taking into account Heaslip’s unblemished disciplinary record, assessed the offence to be in the mid-range of seriousness.
“It was a fair hearing and we are very happy,” said McNaughton. “Jamie is very upset that the tour is over for him now and he feels he has let down his team-mates as well in relation to the game. In fact, he apologised to the rest of the squad immediately after the game.”
Describing the sending-off as “completely out of character”, McNaughton added: “The red card will not affect his international future. He was sent off, he was very upset about it, but he has accepted the consequences. He now needs to move on and we need to move on too.”
Already without Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy and Kevin McLaughlin, this leaves Ireland’s backrow options down to David Wallace, Shane Jennings, Niall Ronan and Chris Henry.
For the Australian Test, particularly, there seemed a compelling argument for playing Wallace at eight and perhaps sending an SOS to Alan Quinlan or Neil Best, experienced campaigners and upbeat, proven tourists.
Instead, the Irish management have called up young Rhys Ruddock, after just three games for Leinster, from the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.
While Saturday’s defeat wasn’t anything like on the scale of the 11-try, 59-6 rout and record 53-point losing margin against the All Blacks in Auckland in 1992, it was still the most points conceded by an Irish team in Test rugby, eclipsing the total conceded in the 63-15 defeat to the All Blacks at Lansdowne Road in 1997.
No, it wasn’t that bad, but then again it should never have been, not with the quality of players at Ireland’s disposal nowadays, not with the core of a team who reached the Promised Land of a first Grand Slam in 61 years just 15 months ago.
But, more and more, that Slam would seem to represent a peak for what has been a golden generation.
That feeling was uncomfortably re-enforced here.
That may yet prove pre-mature, but disproving it is Declan Kidney’s biggest challenge to date.
