Christchurch Test just got tougher as Earls ruled out

THE PROSPECT of a snowy Christchurch welcoming the All Blacks yesterday in readiness for next Saturday’s first Test there since the earthquakes that devastated the city was made more imposing when Keith Earls was ruled out of the second Test after sustaining a pectoral muscle injury.

Earls could still make the third Test, but as he also covers full-back, Gavin Duffy has been added to the squad, while Cian Healy (strained shoulder) and Declan Fitzpatrick (gluteal muscle strain) are under observation, but the likelihood is that both will be fit, as might the hamstrung Mike Ross. No prop cover has been called up.

Beyond Ross’s return and a re-jigged midfield (with Darren Cave starting or Gordon D’Arcy returning and O’Driscoll reverting to outside centre), it’s hard to see too many other changes; Andrew Trimble on the right wing probably, Eoin Reddan at scrumhalf perhaps, and maybe Donncha O’Callaghan or Mike McCarthy joining Donnacha Ryan in the second-row.

Declan Kidney accepted that he and his squad now faced a daunting challenge. “But we knew that from the day that we saw the fixtures. It’s not like the boys didn’t work hard but we’re going to have to learn. Can we be a better side at the end of this? Absolutely. But for us to really focus on this would have had a big cost on the season earlier on. We would have had to give up a number of other things.”

Beyond suggesting “a couple of weeks’ preparation”, Kidney didn’t specify the “other things”. Presumably this would have meant a more experimental approach to the Six Nations or the provinces rotating even more.

Kidney estimated that 11 of the side had three years’ experience or less of test rugby and “they’re probably going to get three years’ learning in the next two weeks. That will be brilliant. That will stand to us in the future. We just have to have the patience with it, and I know everybody expects success, but it just doesn’t happen overnight.”

“We can gain heaps out of this tour,” maintained the coach. “That’s why when this group win something, they’ll be glad they went through the night.”

Regarding the debuts of Fitzpatrick and Loughney, he said: “It’s a pity we have to use the Irish team to build up experiences, but in fairness to them they gave it their best shot and they’ll be better for it.”

In addition to Julian Savea’s first try off an over-cooked Conor Murray box kick, the winger’s second and third tries could be traced to Brian O’Driscoll offloads that went to ground. Admitting that there had been “a substantial difference” between the sides, Declan Kidney added: “We turned the ball over a few times, and we were made pay for it on the scoreboard. If you’re turning the ball over that’s something you can’t do at this level, and we have to rectify that.”

While Kidney also admitted that defensively Ireland sometimes stood off, he argued that was when “we were caught for numbers off quick ball. So I don’t think it was a line speed thing as a ruck speed thing.”

Rejecting the notion that New Zealand are vastly superior, Fergus McFadden maintained Ireland hadn’t availed of a strong start. “I don’t think it was a good performance. We turned the ball over too many times, and given the way we did and as often as we did, they’re going to punish you. You think the French are good off turnover? They’re twice as good.”

An extraordinary amount of traffic in black came down his wing. “I was talking to Earlsy afterwards and I don’t think I’ve ever felt as exposed after a couple of phases. It felt like they had three men over every time. Whether that was down to quickness of ball, like lack of workrate around the corner, I don’t know but we’re going to have to look at that on the video.”

“Giving away that many turnovers to a team like that is going to do no one’s health any good,” said Peter O’Mahony, repeating the lament. “We’ll have a look at it during the week. Test rugby is a step up again and the All Blacks are probably a bit more of a step up. It certainly was a great learning curve for me personally, but we have got to learn quickly as a team.”

Victor Vito (knee) is the one All Blacks casualty but after this first test, both Steve Hansen and Richie McCaw spoke of their desire to “put on a performance” for the Christchurch public in the first Test match there since the city was hit by earthquakes. Far from letting up, they are sure to be as motivated for this game as they would when playing the Springboks in the Tri Nations.