Brewer's Blackrock already look the part

FIRST there was the tricky question of putting this season's club activity (inactivity?) into context. Then comes a trickier one how to put this stunning start at Dooradoyle into context? Only time will tell, but on Saturday's evidence these are promising times again for Blackrock, decidedly worrying ones for Garryowen.

Blackrock were good, very good. Their performance bore all the hallmarks of a well drilled, rocking, running side in the mould of their 33 time capped All Black coach Mike Brewer.

The game was pretty much over after a whirlwind opening 25 minutes, culminating in a nine minute, three try salvo that had Garryowen scattered all over the ground.

In fact, you sensed it was going to be a one sided affair as soon as Brian Carey scythed through a porous Garryowen midfield inside 30 seconds. Blackrock's continuity in that opening quarter and a bit was awesome.

If Carey was the most potent back on view, then another emerging Connacht man, Rory Rogers, was undoubtedly the most influential forward. It wasn't just the protective head mask that caught the eye, it was the ever present support play. Taking the ball on and making his tackles, Rogers was everywhere, and the impressive young Duncan Kennedy, one of five ICL debutants in the starting line up (pushed to seven by the wave of second half substitutions) was not far behind.

Dean Oswald could come back into the equation next week, but where to accommodate him? In between the young wing forward bucks, the wily Brewer was in effect an on field coach as much as a contributing number eight.

Although he took the ball on occasionally, primarily Brewer watched from midfield or around the fringes, orchestrating those around him.

With Garryowen over committing to the rocks, the Blackrock flankers were quick to the breakdown, and then came four or five rockers to blow away the home forwards and serve up the ball to Nicky Assaf on a plate.

In an unobtrusive way, Assaf and Alan McGowan ran proceedings from half back, invariably taking the right options, whether to take it on inside or spin it wide. More often than not it was the latter option, with the back's playing it in your face and on the gain line.

Carey handled the ball four times in the first six minutes crossing for two tries before his premature departure with a recurring cartilage problem (which should not sideline him next week).

Like Carey, right winger Paul O'Brien crossed for his first brace of ICL tries, linking with the elusive and chunky fullback Emmet Farrell for the try of the match from a blind side move inside their own 22, after Kennedy's charge down try had stemmed the Garryowen fight back. Farrell, deservedly, completed the six try to one rout at the end.

Without some of the star names of recent times Brendan Mullin, Niall Woods, Martin Ridge, Dave Beggy and so forth - this is still a richly talented Blackrock back line. The oldest is 24, and perhaps significantly, they are all re united from their schools' rugby days, imbuing themselves with the same cocky self assurance which is a Willow Park trademark.

"We're fortunate to have backs who can beat players one on one. There's not an over abundance of them in Ireland," said Brewer afterwards. KISS, keep it simple stupid, is Brewer's Kiwi motto.

"We're trying to get a balance between quick rock ball and taking the opposition on up the middle. Teams can make the mistake of going to ground too early and so the eyes and options of your pivots (the halves) are crucial. If you play the game of rugby with simplicity, and keep it accurate, then things tend to happen for you.

Brewer acknowledged that Garryowen were short some notable names; Ben Cronin was laid low by flu and Stephen McIvor may be out until after Christmas with a back injury. "Some of the tries in the first half were down to missed tackles and if Garryowen had made those tackles it might have been a different story."

Looking down the team sheet after they fell behind, you looked for the Garryowen names, the big players, who traditionally have turned around so many tight games for them in the past; Keith Wood, McIvor, the points machine Kenny Smith, Richie Wallace and perhaps, most notably of all, their on field orchestrator Philip Danaher. There was none there.

"Every team needs characters but a lot of guys are no longer there," acknowledged Danaher. Forced to retire by a wrist injury at 31, the influence of the former Irish centre is now confined to the dog out, where Danaher has now assumed the coaching duties. It is a tough baptism, Danaher using the words "transitional period".

They'll improve, he maintained, and no doubt they will. A crowd of scarcely 800 underlined their difficulties, with the IRFU doing Garryowen and everyone else no favours with a December start. This defeat will hardly generate local fervour, and next up comes a tricky test at Terenure.

Blackrock roll on, meanwhile, with Old Wesley at home next week. They have flattered to deceive before and no doubt on different days, with conditions less favourable, will have to work harder for their scores. But they look the part.