N.Zealand tactics 'frustrate' Ireland flanker Ferris

Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has joined a long list of opposition players in wondering how it is that New Zealand escape sanction for slowing the ball down at the breakdown.

The All Blacks beat Ireland 38-18 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday in an entertaining match that swung either side of half-time as New Zealand turned what had been a four-point deficit, following Ferris's well-worked try, into a 20-point lead.

Few sides ever come back from such a position against Tri-Nations champions New Zealand but the way the All Blacks slowed down Ireland ball did little for the hosts' final quarter rally.

Both teams knew Ireland then needed tries, rather than converted goal-kicks, to get back on terms so just conceding penalties - as opposed to having players sin-binned - was no great punishment for the All Blacks in that situation.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw is a master at denying the opposition possession, with the flanker and his colleagues perfectly capable of forcing legal turnovers.

Yet one of the oft-heard complaints from rival sides concerns how McCaw manages to avoid censure for acts of slowing or 'killing' the ball that ought, by rights, to be punishable by a yellow card and 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

South African referee Marius Jonker, like many of his colleagues in other international matches last weekend, issued repeated warnings at Lansdowne Road but failed to follow-up with a yellow card.

"If I'd been a referee I would have handed out a couple of yellow cards," said frustrated British and Irish Lions back-row Ferris.

"It's hard because when you're in the middle of the pitch you get fast ball, but when you're in their 22 it keeps getting killed.

"It's the same old faces that are doing it, but they're good at it and get away with it. Richie McCaw did a great job at slowing it down.

"It's frustrating, but they're also good at poaching the ball legally."

In fairness to New Zealand, Jonker could equally have been said to be lenient in not reaching for a yellow card when the All Blacks opted for a series of scrums from penalties close to the Ireland line midway through the second half.

Not that his decision-making played anything like a key role in the outcome of a match that left Ireland still searching for a first win over New Zealand.

Ferris felt the final result was harsh on an Ireland side much improved from a lacklustre display in a 23-21 loss to world champions South Africa a fortnight earlier.

But he agreed New Zealand's finishing had taught Ireland a lesson.

"The scoreline maybe flattered them a bit," Ferris said. "There were a lot of tired bodies afterwards but New Zealand knew they had had a tough game too.

"Speaking to everyone in the dressing room afterwards it didn't feel like we had lost by 20 points. It felt like we'd lost by a few points.

However, he added: "That spell after half-time when they scored two tries showed what New Zealand can do.

"One minute you're three points behind and the next it's 20. We learnt a lot from the match.

"New Zealand scored some good tries and were very clinical. We have to be more like that ourselves."

Source : http://sport.id.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4474625