Ireland's November series got off to a losing start, as they fell to a 26-13 defeat at Soldier Field in Chicago, the All Blacks coming out on top for the third time in a row in this fixture.
A solid opening hour had Ireland 13-7 ahead, but they faded badly in the final quarter, as Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions contingent still look undercooked after a long season.
Here’s how we rated the Irish players on the day.
Jamie Osborne – 6
Had one excellent grab in the air in the first half while under pressure, and did well to make a covering tackle on Caleb Clarke as the All Blacks winger raced clear. Ireland didn’t get him involved enough in the attack, but his one real chance came as he was put through a gap by Jack Crowley, only to knock the ball on.
Tommy O’Brien - 6.5
Had a couple of good moments, including a great tackle on Wallace Sititi in the second half. There’s potential for a good connection between he and Crowley, and he almost came away with a great catch in the 22 from a chip from the out-half. Got caught narrow in defence as New Zealand broke from their 22 on 65 minutes, and they scored their third try from that territory.
Garry Ringrose – 5
Ringrose’s high-risk defensive game has been huge for Ireland on several occasions, but the risks didn’t play off today. Had seven missed tackles in total, two of which led to New Zealand tries. His incredible hit on Beauden Barrett in the final quarter shows what he’s capable of, and he’ll be eager to prove himself later this month.
Stuart McCloskey (above) – 8
Consistently got Ireland over the gainline with a team-high 12 carries, despite only playing 56 minutes, and it’s no coincidence Ireland’s game fell apart once he left. Threw two offloads that didn’t work out, but both were the right options at the time, and could have led to big breaks. Should have stayed on longer, and should be given another start against Australia in two weeks.
James Lowe – 7
Aside from a lovely offload to put Jack Conan into space, Lowe didn’t have a major say from an attacking point of view, but kicked smartly and rushed New Zealand into a couple of poor clearances. Also came up with a huge catch in the air, which put Ireland on the front foot and led to their penalty to go 13-7 ahead.
Jack Crowley – 7
Will be annoyed to have given up that penalty on 60 minutes, which New Zealand eventually turned into a try, but had a solid outing in the 10 shirt. Tried to test the All Blacks’ defence with some chips over the top, and one for Tommy O’Brien nearly came off. Great offload down the blindside to Dan Sheehan put Ireland on the attack, which led to the penalty to go 3-0 ahead.
Jamison Gibson-Park – 8
Looked right back up to top speed today. Passing was sharp and crisp, but it was his kicking game that really stood out. On multiple occasions, he sent box-kicks from inside his own 22 to beyond half-way, while the timing of his high-kicks game the chasers every chance of winning them back. When Ireland were able to get their attack going in the first half, he kept the pace up.
Andrew Porter (above) – 6
Very active in defence with eight tackles, and two good carries in quick succession had Ireland rolling early in the second half, but had another frustrating penalty at the scrum early in the game.
Dan Sheehan – 6
Wasn’t his usual explosive self around the park, even if he did contribute with nine tackles behind the ball. Ireland’s lineout struggled in the first half, and while that blame has to be shared, there were two crooked throws from Sheehan.
Tadhg Furlong – 6.5
Took his try nicely, his first for either Leinster or Ireland since April 2021. Didn’t see the ball a lot elsewhere but was solid on defence with six tackles.
James Ryan – 7
No highlights to speak of, but got through a tonne of dirty work. Second highest in the team for tackles with 15, and didn’t miss any.
Tadhg Beirne (above) – N/A
Can’t be given a fair rating based on one mistimes tackle after two minutes which ended his day. A red card seemed harsh under the circumstances, and hopefully he won’t be facing much of a ban.
Ryan Baird – 8
Given a big opportunity in the Irish back row, and Baird has planted his flag in it. The best Irish forward on the day, across several elements of the game. Made 12 tackles and seven carries, while he was Ireland’s primary lineout option. Also came up with two lineout steals.
Josh van der Flier – 6.5
Led the team with 17 tackles and had one important turnover early in the game. It wasn't the winning and losing of the game, but will be frustrated at how slow off the scrum he was for Cam Roigard’s try late on.
Jack Conan – 7
If McCloskey was Ireland’s best player going forward, Conan wasn’t far off, particularly in the first half. Popped up as a receiver off the shoulder of team-mates and found a couple of holes, with one beautiful connection with James Lowe.
Replacements:
Rónan Kelleher – 7
Had to endure long spells of defending when he came on after an hour, and logged a tireless 11 tackles in that time, which is a huge number for 20 minutes of rugby.
Paddy McCarthy (above) – 6
Put in a couple of good tackles, but did give up a scrum penalty on his side. A solid 20-minute shift and a great experience for the 22-year-old, who should add another cap against Japan next week.
Finlay Bealham – 6.5
Was very eager to get involved on defence when he came on with 20 minutes to play, with nine tackles.
Iain Henderson – 6
Was called in early after Tadhg Beirne’s 20-minute red card and put in some good carries during the first half, but his influence waned. Allowed his frustrations spill over late on when he gave up an extra 10 metres for backchat to the referee
Caelan Doris (below) – 6.5
Had two stints on the pitch on his return from a long-term shoulder injury, and was most active on defence. Will hope to build on that as the month progresses.
Craig Casey – 6
Only had 13 minutes to make an impact and by then Ireland were chasing the game. Will be annoyed to get caught back on his inside by Roigard for his try.
Sam Prendergast – 6
Like Casey, Prendergast came into the game when it was starting to get away from Ireland, and had very little possession to work with in that period.
Bundee Aki – 5
Was brought on with 24 minutes to play but had little impact on the game, particularly having replaced McCloskey. Didn’t carry the ball during that time, and a poor pass in his own 22 to Osborne gave New Zealand the scrum from which they scored their fourth try.
