Ella tips tough time for Wallabies against Ireland
Australian rugby great Mark Ella said the Wallabies need to be ready for a physical onslaught like that which greeted the All Blacks in Chicago and Dublin, when they meet Ireland on Sunday (AEDT).
Describing the Irish as the toughest team he played against during a decorated international career, which included the fabled grand slam win in 1984, the legendary five-eighth said the way the Wallabies absorb the physical battering will determine whether they can keep their own slam ambitions alive.
“I think Ireland will try and intimate the Wallabies," Ella said. “I was impressed by the intensity of Ireland in the All Blacks game.
“I read somewhere [All Blacks captain] Kieran Read say that the Ireland game was probably one of the hardest test matches he’d ever played.
“The Irish are not afraid. I’ve played against Ireland at a schoolboy level and certainly at a senior level about three or four times and I tell you, they are the hardest side internationally that I’ve ever played against because they just don’t give up."
Ireland famously beat New Zealand for the first time in 111 years of asking, 40-29 at soldier’s Field in Chicago on 5 November, ending the All Blacks’ record 18-match unbeaten run in the process.
It backed that performance up with another bruising display in the 21-9 loss to Steve Hansen’s team last week in Dublin.
“They absolutely battered the All Blacks for a long time in that game and while New Zealand are probably the best team in the world at this moment, the Irish are not going to go down without a fight,” Ella said. “The way they played against the all Blacks was just so good.”
When asked his impressions of the Wallabies’ performances so far, Ella said:
“I always thought Wales was going to be one of the difficult games and I guess I thought Scotland was going to be a little bit easier but what they’re going to confront this weekend is probably something they haven’t experienced in a long time.
“The Irish are just brutal in the way they’re playing the game now. They’ve got good attacking players out wide but their forward pack is just so tough. It’s going to be a tough game on the weekend.”
Ireland announced four changes to the side that lost last week, with injured star five-eighth Jonny Sexton replaced by Paddy Jackson and rookie centre Gerry Ringrose in for Robbie Henshaw.
Ella played down the significance of those key changes, identifying the intensity of the Irish forwards as the key point of difference the Wallabies will need to overcome.
“It’s going to be a really tough game and I don’t think Australia really know what its going to be like until they get onto the field,” he said. “Michael Cheika would have looked at the ferocity of the Irish defence and the way they attack.
“Obviously they’ve lost a couple of key players through injury. But from what I’ve seen they’re just ferocious.
“While Australia have always had tough battles against New Zealand and South Africa, the Irish bring something different. So they have to stick closely together and absorb what the Irish throw at them.
Ella identified the Ireland match, together with the 4 December clash against England as the most difficult assignments of the tour.
“The game against Ireland and England will be the major tests to see how well they’re really going.
“I’m hoping they can win the Grand slam. We’ve got to face Ireland, who I thought would be competitive but the way they played against the All Blacks in Chicago and Dublin, has ben nothing but unbelievable rugby.
“I’m hoping they can win it. I guess they can defeat both of them. But the two hardest matches are the next two weeks. I hope they can win, I’m not sure that they will but I’m hoping.
