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All Blacks wary of O'Driscoll power Posted: Thursday June 13, 2002 8:18 AMDUNEDIN, New Zealand (Reuters) -- Ireland center Brian O'Driscoll poses a major threat to the All Blacks in the first test Saturday but the host will not change its system to combat his running power. O'Driscoll is the mainstay in a new-look Irish backline and All Black centers Aaron Mauger and Tana Umaga recognize the Blackrock College player as one of the world's most dynamic attacking threats. "I'm the guy who's probably going to end up trying to get him most of the time, so I'm aware of the dangers. But I've just got to trust the guys around me and stick with the system," he said. "If I focus on him too much we might be left wanting somewhere else." O'Driscoll scored three tries in the tourists' only tour match before the two tests, a 56-3 drubbing of a New Zealand Divisional XV, and Umaga, just back from a knee injury, said the outside center had got the edge on him when the All Blacks beat Ireland 49-29 in Dublin last November. But he added: "If we can dominate in the forwards and get them going backwards, it will be very hard for him to show his class." 'New Gibson' Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan describes O'Driscoll as the new Mike Gibson. "He's something special and we're just very grateful he was born Irish," he said, adding that while hooker and captain Keith Wood was an "icon" of Irish rugby, O'Driscoll was heading in the same direction. "Let's just hope they can deliver under the intense pressure of test rugby, and I've no doubts they will," he said. New Zealand coach John Mitchell first met Wood when he spent the 1991-92 season playing for Garryowen. Wood was a member of the club's under-20 side. "At that time I found out his father was a former British Lion and you could tell then that Keith had the skill and desire to go all the way," Mitchell told the New Zealand Press Association. Ronan O'Gara has been chosen at flyhalf ahead of Ulster's David Humphreys, who had a fine showing against the Divisional XV. O'Sullivan said Humphreys was lacking match practice, while O'Gara spearheaded Munster's run to the European Cup final. O'Sullivan said the All Blacks had the capacity to weather pressure and pull away at the end as they did in Dublin last November. 'Lost the plot' "We were in the game for 45 minutes and even thought we could pull off a victory, but we completely lost the plot while they just got stronger," he said. Ireland has never beaten New Zealand, but it came to within a dropped interception of beating the All Blacks the last time they played in Dunedin, in 1992. New Zealand will have 13 of the Super 12 champion Canterbury Crusaders running out at Carisbrook, with Umaga and right-winger Doug Howlett the odd ones out. There is no room for Jonah Lomu but the winger, who scored two late tries in Dublin to kill off the Irish last year, is certain to come off the bench. Leon MacDonald returns as fullback for Christian Cullen. A loose forward injury crisis, meanwhile, has forced Ireland to call up flanker David Wallace from holiday in the United States. Flankers Alan Quinlan and Eric Miller were both injured against the Divisional XV, which has given Simon Enderby the blindside berth, with the openside going to Keith Gleeson. Ireland lock Malcolm O'Kelly returned from shin-splint problems this week and could be named as substitute for the test. Teams:New Zealand -- 15-Leon MacDonald, 14-Doug Howlett, 13-Tana Umaga, 12-Aaron Mauger, 11-Caleb Ralph, 10-Andrew Mehrtens, 9-Justin Marshall, 8-Scott Robertson, 7-Richard McCaw, 6-Reuben Thorne (captain), 5-Norm Maxwell, 4-Chris Jack, 3-Greg Somerville, 2-Mark Hammett, 1-Dave Hewett. Substitutes - 16-Tom Willis, 17-Joe McDonnell, 18-Taine Randell, 19-Marty Holah, 20-Byron Kelleher, 21-Daryl Gibson, 22-Jonah Lomu. Ireland -- 15-Girvan Dempsey, 14-Geordan Murphy, 13-Brian
O'Driscoll, 12-John Kelly, 11-Justin Bishop, 10-Ronan O'Gara,
9-Peter Stringer, 8-Anthony Foley, 7-Keith Gleeson, 6-Simon
Easterby, 5-Paul O'Connell, 4-Gary Longwell, 3-John Hayes,
2-Keith Wood (captain), 1-Reggie Corrigan.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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