Ireland player ratings: Ireland saw their proud winning run at the Aviva Stadium come to an end as New Zealand emerged with a 23 – 13 victory.
Ireland will rue their lack of discipline as Damian McKenzie was pin point from the kicking tee.
Here is how the Irish players fared.
1. Andrew Porter – 6
Industrious from the off, Porter more so than most came into today’s clash seeking redemption having been blown off the park by Wayne Barnes in the World Cup.
2. Ronan Kelleher – 6
Short of being a consistent line-out thrower, Kelleher proved once again that he is world class in the loose play and rock solid in the scrum. In truth if he is to challenge Dan Sheehan long term, the issues at line-out time have to be tidied up.
3. Finlay Bealham – 6
Put in a serious shift given his replacement Tom O’Toole lasted just two minutes. Overall it was a solid performance but in a worrying state of affairs for Ireland, the drop off from Tadhg Furlong is still significant.
4. Joe McCarthy – 7
Running wreckshop throughout the contest, ‘Big Joe’ had a mighty tussle with Scott Barrett throughout the contest. McCarthy’s ability to generate momentum from a standing start is what truly sets him apart. This power combined with his rugby intellect saw him bulldoze through several All Blacks rucks.
5. James Ryan – 4
Some way off his imposing best, Ryan did a lot of the dirty work around the breakdown but lacked that big time impact moment. This lack of impact saw him plucked from the action with ten minutes to go as Peter O’Mahony entered the fray.
6. Tadhg Beirne – 4
Unusually quiet, Beirne looked a tick off the pace in the backrow which brings questions about his viability in the position going forward. Staring down the All Blacks future in Wallace Sititi, Beirne looked slow and lacked any real punch in the carry.
7. Josh van der Flier – 5
Constantly pestering the All Blacks breakdown with a direct approach where he looked to clear bodies rather than target the ball, van der Flier was Ireland’s workhorse. This effort was rewarded with a superb try to start the first which got Ireland’s tails up and the Aviva rocking!
8. Caelan Doris – 4
A shadow of his usual barnstorming self, the Ireland captain was once again dominated by the All Blacks physically. This lack of go forward from Doris had a trickle down effect that filtered through his team.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 6.5
Brilliantly busy but not without the odd uncharacteristic mistake, namely letting the ball squirt out of the breakdown on a few occasions.
10. Jack Crowley – 5
Continuing his mixed bag of form from Munster to the Ireland set-up, Crowley will be underwhelmed with his 57 minutes on the pitch. From the kicking tee he was perfect whilst his line kicking was also on point. In general play however he was somewhat subdued throughout the match albeit he rarely had front foot ball. Departing following a knock-on will be a real kick in the teeth for the talented 24-year-old.
11. James Lowe – 7
Physical in the carry and really strong with his kicking game, Lowe had a strong showing despite the limited opportunities that came his way. Finding a magnificent touch with less than ten minutes to play
12. Bundee Aki – 6
Tough as teak, Aki went route one all day as he clattered into the All Blacks. Paying special attention to Reiko Ioane, Aki smashed this weeks pantomime villain on a handful of occasions.
13. Garry Ringrose – 6
Got through a mountain of defensive work defensively. Marshalling the outside space masterfully when the All Blacks were looking threatening, Ringrose proved unequivocally that he is central to the green defensive line.
14. Mack Hansen – 7
Clearly up for it in his international return from a long injury lay-off, the outspoken winger backed up his words with actions. Sneaking around the park whilst attempting a number of chip and chase kicks, Hansen served a reminder of his ‘messy spark’.
15. Hugo Keenan – 5.5
Covering every blade of grass, Keenan was once again strong defensively and in the air. In attack however he brought very little to the party and never looked like causing the All Blacks problems.
Substitutes:
16. Rob Herring – 4
Brought some solidity to the line-out but other than that was a step down from Kelleher.
17. Cian Healy – N/A
Not enough time on the pitch to rate.
18. Tom O’Toole – N/A
Departed with a HIA inside two minutes of being on the park.
19. Iain Henderson – 4
A night to forget for the Ulster stalwart who brought little impact from the bench. Unfortunately it appears as though several long term injuries have caught up with him and he lacks that explosive power he once hand.
20. Peter O’Mahony – 4
Competed hard at a few line-outs but wasn’t on for long enough to make a real impact.
21. Conor Murray – N/A
Not on for long enough to rate.
22. Ciaran Frawley – 4
Not quite the audition he was hoping for, Frawley looked nervous for the first time in a green jersey.
23. Jamie Osborne – N/A
Not on for long enough to rate.
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