New Coach Mitchell Pleased and Proud

All Black coach, John Mitchell expressed his pleasure with the performance of his side, saying he was proud with the way his side acquitted themselves against ‘one of the best Irish sides’ he has seen.

Speaking at the post match press conference in the West Stand car park, Mitchell said that although they trailed at half time his side stuck to their game plan and things worked out for them in the end.” We spoke at halftime of sticking to the game plan, keeping our composure and retaining the ball for longer periods. I wasnt concerned when we went further behind at the start of the second half, it was still a question of getting and maintaining field position.”

That view was endorsed by All Black skipper Anton Oliver who conceded that in the first half “we made stupid mistakes, we established good field position and then blew it. So we knew it was a matter of getting control and controlling that control.”

Oliver when asked, what it was like in the front against a player (Wood) who had recently been named International Player of the Year, said, ” I dont tend to focus on one player, front row is a unit, but I did see him making a few runs. It was pretty torrid at times but there was no words between us. We were too tired, just trying to suck in air.”

Mitchell felt that this game will prove a “great stepping stone in his player’s careers” and was fulsome in his praise of the Irish performance and what has been achieved under the stewardship of Warren Gatland.