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Card chaos - timeline of All Blacks meltdown

Jaco Peyper was a busy man in the first half, handing out three yellow cards and a red
Jaco Peyper was a busy man in the first half, handing out three yellow cards and a red

Ireland are basking in the glory of a first ever Test win in New Zealand but the defeat will leave a lot of questions for the All Blacks.

Chief among them is how their discipline disintegrated in the face of Irish pressure in the first half.

They had two players yellow-carded and one sent off. They could have easily had one more in the bin when Codie Taylor cynically took down a maul close to the line. Here we look at the timeline for the All Blacks' first-half meltdown.


16 minutes – Leicester Fainga'anuku yellow card

Ireland are leading 10-0 and the ball comes to Mack Hansen on the right wing.

Opposite number Leicester Fainga'anuku has already started his jump before Hansen kicks the ball.

However, his leap at the Aussie is still dangerous and only the fact that the initial contact is with the chest saves the Kiwi from a red card. 'Low danger' says referee Jaco Peyper.

24 minutes – Ofa Tu'ungafasi yellow card

Ireland pile on the pressure and Johnny Sexton makes a clever run on the short side. He wants to pass inside to Garry Ringrose but the centre is tackled early by Ofa Tu'ungafasi.

Between the referee and TMO Tom Foley, they decide that the intervention doesn't prevent a definite try. The replays would suggest that it does given that the covering players had converged on Sexton. Still, New Zealand are momentarily down to 13.

25 minutes – Angus Ta'avao comes on, Dalton Papalii subbed off

Ireland opt for a scrum knowing that the All Blacks must introduce a front row player to replace Tu’ungafasi. Angus Ta’avao comes on and flanker Dalton Papalii makes way.

31 mins – Angus Ta'avao red card

Ringrose cuts inside but is met high and dangerously by Ta’avao. The prop didn’t adjust his height and their heads collide. Both men need medical attention.

After some deliberation, Peyper has to send the Chiefs man off. Captain Sam Cane tries to explain that he’s a prop and that Ringrose is a back and therefore it shouldn’t be red.

That cuts no ice with the South African and now New Zealand are back down to 13 players. Ringrose, meanwhile, exits for a HIA from which he does not return.

32 minutes - Aidan Ross comes on for Ardie Savea

At the next scrum, New Zealand are obliged to add another front-row qualified player with Aidan Ross running on for a debut.

It means they have to remove an extra player but still keep eight in the pack. Ardie Savea goes off and two backs have to pack down. The same set of circumstances led to Italy having to play with 13 against Ireland during the Six Nations, and by the letter of the law New Zealand should have been forced to go down to 12 players for the next two minutes. However, the officials miss that.

35 minutes - Ofa Tu'ungafasi returns

Ofa Tu'ungafasi returns to the field of play but confusion reigns.

The home side now have 15 players on. A conference takes place on the sideline with Peyper informing a New Zealand official that Savea’s removal means he must stay off.

This appears to be mistake by the All Blacks who would have been unlikely to remove a player of his stature and influence had they understood it was a permanent switch.

40 minutes James Ryan yellow card

New Zealand mount a comeback and James Ryan goes in the bin after twice going offside prior to Beauden Barrett scoring the All Blacks' first try.

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