Ireland A 19 - 47 All Blacks XV
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said the All Blacks XV coming to Dublin would be a step-up in class from the Maori side Ireland's A team faced this summer, and there’s no doubt he was right.
The 47-19 scoreline was a fair reflection on the gap between the sides at the RDS, where the tourists ripped Ireland's hopefuls apart at times, particularly when the game was still in the balance in the opening 50 minutes.
Scanning the team-sheets before the game, Shaun Stevenson’s name jumped out alongside eight Test All Blacks, and after he tormented Ireland’s midweek side this summer, Stevenson inflicted further damage on them with two first half tries this evening, the second of which finished off a sensational counter-attack from their own 22.
The fact that Ireland only trailed 19-7 at the break was fortunate, with Andy Farrell’s side battling their way back from conceding three tries to finish strong in the opening half, Ciarán Frawley scoring and converting the try after great offloading from his forwards.
The second half was just 32 seconds old when Stevenson split the Irish defence once again, and his full-back Ruben Love scored try number four, while they tagged on three further tries to ease to a well deserved victory.
The positives from an Irish point of view were hard to find. A lack of protection at the ruck saw captain Craig Casey constantly harassed, their lineout failed to give their attack a platform, and on too many of the occasions they got things moving in the backline, their passing was either too flat or too deep.
Their best performers arguably came off the bench. Jack Crowley brought real energy to the attack in his 34-minute cameo, while Max Deegan was rewarded for a strong showing with Ireland’s final try late on, Marty Moore also forcing his way over to score.
Ireland enjoyed the bulk of the possession early on, but they couldn't match it with territory, the game played primarily in the middle third of the pitch.
James Hume was in the centre of it, stepping in as first receiver on some early set-pieces, and receiving a couple of rib-ticklers from the eager New Zealand defence, whose linespeed in the opening half seemed a little too good to be true.
The physicality of the game saw Joe McCarthy suffer an early injury, replaced by Ross Molony after just seven minutes, before the tourists hit the front shortly after, courtesy of Shaun Stevenson.
After dragging play over to the left touchline, McKenzie spotted his winger in space on the right wing, and his delicate crossfield kick caught Craig Casey spinning, with Stevenson pouncing to run in under the posts, before the McKenzie conversion made it 7-0.
That try settled the visitors down, and as their passages of play started to flow, and the passes began to stick, they had the Irish defence under enormous pressure.
Penalties against Cian Prendergast and Jacob Stockdale followed, and when McKenzie kicked to the corner after the latter of those, their dominant maul walked through Ireland, with hooker Brodie McAlister touching down, as New Zealand pushed their lead out to 14-0 with the conversion.
The third try followed on 25 minutes, and it was All Blacks rugby at its best. With Ireland attacking in the 22, Dominic Gardiner managed to clip a hand on the lineout, before McKenzie scooped up the breaking ball to burst up towards half-way. The out-half found Tuipulotu with a short pass, before receiving it back and spreading it wide to Ruben Love, and the full-back played in Stevenson, who scampered over for his second of the night.
From Dave Heffernan’s throw to Stevenson’s touchdown, just 19 seconds elapsed, the only blemish being the missed conversion from McKenzie which kept the score at 19-0.
They could have had a fourth try moments later, but Love’s touchdown was wiped out after a check with the TMO, Ireland instead awarded a penalty after Luke Jacobson blindsided Hume with a cheap hit at a previous ruck, for which he was rightly yellow-carded.
Despite the scoreline, Ireland were growing into the contest, aided by far better protection of their own ball at the ruck.
They finally got on the board three minutes from half time, Frawley diving in under the posts after a series of brilliant offloads in the tackle from both Prendergast and O’Toole, and it was the Leinster man who converted his own score to cut the deficit to 12 points, 19-7, at the break.
Unfortunately, the gap was back to 19 within seconds of the restart. Stevenson picked up where he left off in the first half, evading Hume's tackle and waltzing up the pitch, with simple hands to Perenara, and then to Love, seeing the full-back run in for their fourth try of the night. The conversion from McKenzie sent the score out to 26-7.
The physicality from the All Blacks was relentless, with Frawley, Prendergast and Coombes all receiving treatment for knocks early in the second half, Frawley’s leg issue forcing him off, as Jack Crowley came in for the final 34 minutes.
Ireland were getting plenty of attacking opportunities, Gavin Thornbury’s work at the breakdown forcing a penalty and a shot at the tryline, but their issues protecting their own rucks continued as they were turned over time and time again.
The All Blacks were in a punishing mood, and on 54 minutes they ran in their fifth of the night, McKenzie’s delayed pass catching out Hume and allowing Gardiner break through, before AJ Lam played in Ennor to score, and McKenzie’s extras made it 33-7.
By now, both sides were rolling the replacements off the bench, and it created a fragmented game.
Ireland hit back with a second try on 58 minutes, Marty Moore burrowing his way over from close range, after they had forced multiple penalties to get into the 22.
But the New Zealand response was immediate, Lam acrobatically diving over in the corner, and McKenzie’s fifth conversion of the night made it 40-12 on the hour mark.
The out-half had been running the show all night at the RDS, and it was only appropriate he got in for a try of his own before the evening was out, as he finished off another breakaway move, and converting his own score to make it 47-12.
There was still time for one final Irish drive, and some fine work down the right wing from Calvin Nash pinned the visitors back into their own 22, before Deegan forced his way over, which Crowley converted.
Ireland A: Mike Lowry; Calvin Nash, Jamie Osborne, James Hume, Jacob Stockdale; Ciáran Frawley, Craig Casey (capt); Jeremy Loughman, Dave Heffernen, Tom O'Toole; Joe McCarthy, Gavin Thornbury; Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Marty Moore, Ross Molony, Max Deegan, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Shane Daly.
All Blacks XV: Ruben Love; Shaun Stevenson, Braydon Ennor, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, AJ Lam; Damian McKenzie, TJ Perenara; Aidan Ross, Brodie McAlister, Tevita Mafileo; Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), Josh Dickson; Dominic Gardiner, Luka Jacobson, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u.
Replacements: Tyrone Thompson, Finlay Brewis, Tamaiti Williams, Zach Gallagher, Christian Lio-Willie, Cam Roigard, Josh Ioane, Alex Nankivell.
Referee: Matt Carley (RFU)
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