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| | Saturday, 15 June, 2002, 11:08 GMT 12:08 UK Sloppy All Blacks edge Ireland Ireland were the better side for much of the game New Zealand 15-6 Ireland New Zealand claimed a tight victory over an impressive Ireland outfit in a scrappy game in Dunedin on Saturday. Two tries from Doug Howlett and Leon MacDonald separated the sides. But Ireland could - and perhaps should - have claimed their first victory over the All Blacks who looked ill-at-ease throughout the match. With the home side strugggling to gain any possession, three missed penalties from fly-half Ronan O-Gara gave the final scoreline a lop-sided appearance. Ireland were clearly the better side for the vast majority of the match and only an impressive Kiwi defence kept Keith Wood's men at bay. Indeed, an Irish win would have been just reward for a stern challenge against a side whose performance raised more questions than answers for coach John Mitchell. The home started the match with the entire Canterbury pack rewarded for their superb unbeaten run in the Super 12.
The tourists rocked Reuben Thorne's men immediately by camping on their goal-line for the first five minutes, completing seven phases of play and testing the Kiwi defence. Brian O'Driscoll eventually dropped a simple goal, deciding that his side deserved some reward for their early pressure. All Black fly-half Andrew Mehrtens levelled the scores three minutes later with a penalty, but the first quarter of the match undoubtedly belonged to Ireland. In the first 30 minutes alone, the All Blacks made nine handling errors and the intensity of the Irish tackling unsettled the home side. But six minutes before half-time, with the All Blacks under tremendous pressure, the hosts scored against the run of play. Mehrtens made a clean break for wing Howlett to run in unopposed in the corner. The All Black number 10 added the extras to give his side a 10-3 half-time lead.
The second period began in a similar fashion to the first with Ireland pushing the All Blacks back into their 22. A huge O'Driscoll crossfield kick almost brought a try, but with limited space Leicester winger Geordan Murphy could only place the ball down on the in-goal touchline. After a second failed penalty, O'Gara finally found his range from 20 metres after a Kiwi hand had appeared in a ruck. But minutes later O'Gara blundered again, firing a 35-metre penalty wide to continue his personal kicking disaster. With Kiwi fortunes still not improving, Jonah Lomu was thrown on for Howlett. And O'Gara then made way for David Humphreys as Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan gambled on his team being given more kickable penalty opportunities. But they never came, and Lomu came into his own against the tiring visitors' defenders, blasting to the 22-metre line and allowing MacDonald the space to speed home to seal New Zealand's win. New Zealand: MacDonald, Howlett, Umaga, A. Mauger, Ralph, Mehrtens, Marshall, Hewett, Hammett, Somerville, Jack, Maxwell, Thorne, McCaw, Robertson. Replacements: T. Willis, McDonnell, Randell, Holah, Kelleher, Gibson, Lomu. Ireland: Dempsey, Murphy, B. O'Driscoll, Kelly, Bishop, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Wood, Hayes, O'Connell, Longwell, S. Easterby, Gleeson, Foley. Replacements: S. Byrne, P. Wallace, O'Kelly, A. Quinlan, G. Easterby, Humphreys, Deane. Referee: Joel Jutge (France) | |
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