O'Connell expresses frustration at Ireland's set-piece effort

Ireland forward coach Paul O’Connell has expressed frustration at his pack’s sub-par performance in the set-piece against the All Blacks – a major contributing factor to Ireland’s 42-19 defeat at Eden Park in the first Test. 

The Irish hit the ground running with a fantastic start which saw winger Keith Earls cross the whitewash in the sixth minute for the game’s first try. Ireland were looking strong but the All Blacks forced their way back into the game, eventually making it their own. 

“It is frustrating and disappointing, obviously,” O’Connell said. 

“They are a very good side and they are always going to score tries. I suppose we cannot give them access to those tries which we did a little bit unfortunately with some of our play. 

“They got field position and scored some tries with excellent skill and good attacking play but we had an exit lineout which we kind of executed but got turned over at the ruck and they scored pretty quickly,” said O’Connell in citing the All Blacks’ third try by Quinn Tupaea which emanated from a ruck turnover after Jamison Gibson-Park sniped off a lineout inside the Irish 22. 

“We had an attack on their 22, unfortunately we put the ball down and they go the length of the field,” added O’Connell of the home side’s damaging second try when Sevu Reece latched on to a handling mishap between Garry Ringrose and James Lowe for an 80-metre breakaway try. 

“Those kind of ones are the ones you can’t give away. For sure they will cut you open at times but those tries — that I just mentioned — are frustrating. 

“And then from our own point of view, we were over the line a few times and that was tough. You need to take every single chance you can get; it is kind of similar to the Maori game the other night. We gave them a bit of a head start and then we had our chances to score but we just couldn’t seem to get the ball on the ground. 

“It was a frustrating night all round.” 

Ireland will meet the All Blacks again on Saturday the 9th at the Forsyth Barr Stadium and it is expected that much work will be done this week on the set-piece. Much will have been learnt from the first Test and the All Blacks can expect a determined onslaught from the tourists as the latter continue the hunt for a first victory in the land of the long white cloud.