Dwyer hails compatriot Gaffney for Ireland's fine back-line play
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Tuesday November 17 2009
Ireland backs coach Alan Gaffney last night received words of congratulation from his fellow Australian, ex-World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer (below).
Gaffney got a pat on the back for what Dwyer called "the excellence of the Irish backs", as tries by wing Tommy Bowe and centre Brian O'Driscoll saved Declan Kidney's men in a 20-20 draw at Croke Park.
Dwyer pulled no punches about the Australians' inferiority when it came to back-line play on the day. "Once the ball got out past the forwards, the game belonged to Ireland," said Dwyer.
"The Irish backs had alignment and re-alignment, catch-and-pass skills, speed to burn and ran relatively straight. Well done to back-line coach Alan Gaffney. They took a while, mind you, to overcome some first-outing rustiness, but, by the end of the match, were threatening every time they had the ball.
"The Wallaby back line still shows no capacity to work as a unit and therefore do not consistently question the defence. They have quality individuals and Giteau plays better at inside centre, where his cross-field running causes less problems for his team mates.
"But it is all based on the individual talent of one man each time, never on the collective."
But Dwyer slated South African referee Jonathan Kaplan for some of his interpretations.
"The scrum remains a real weapon for Australia and, but for Kaplan's reluctance to justifiably punish Ireland still further, could have given the match to Australia.
"He even managed to find cause to penalise Australia for an engagement issue, many seconds after the Wallaby scrum had demolished the Ireland eight for what looked like a great ball turnover."
He also criticised Kaplan for not awarding a second-half penalty against Donncha O'Callaghan for killing the ball in one late Wallaby break-out. Had that penalty been given, as it should have been, he said, Australia could have been 10 points ahead which would have been enough to survive O'Driscoll's late score.
- Peter Bills
Irish Independent
