All Blacks Player Ratings v Ireland

The All Blacks have been beaten and held tryless by Ireland 16-9 in Dublin. Here’s how they rated individually.

1. Karl Tuinukuafe – 5
Didn’t manage a carry but made eight tackles on the other side of the ball. Popped up in the scrum and was tested frequently by Tadhg Furlong.

2. Codie Taylor – 6
A quiet game from hooker. Made a half-break and was reliable when called upon at lineout time. Notched seven tackles without a miss.

3. Owen Franks – 7
Got through plenty of work in the first half, making a team-high 14 tackles and winning a turnover in the first 40.

4. Brodie Retallick – 5.5

Doesn’t happen often, but the usually untouchable Retallick was outshone by his opposite James Ryan. Contributed to the All Blacks’ high penalty count in the first half. Dropped another kickoff, knocked near midfield and dropped the ball cold after the siren to end the game. Highlight was a big lineout steal in the final ten minutes. Made nine tackles but conceded four turnovers.

5. Sam Whitelock – 7
Hit hard by penalties in the first half but was ever-present at the lineout and on defence. Made an impressive line-break that seemed to surprised him more than anyone else. Finished with a pack-high 14 tackles.

6. Liam Squire – 4.5
Unable to make much of an impact once again. Lost the ball in a tackle and was penalised for a high shot before heading off injured in the 31st minute. Highlight was his role in a  try-saving effort on Ireland No. 8 CJ Stander.

7. Ardie Savea – 7
Another tireless effort from Ardie Savea. Work around the breakdown and in defence was excellent. Finished with 14 tackle and two won turnovers. Conceded a turnover after isolating himself and puzzled a few after breaking the line and putting a kick in with numbers outside.

8. Kieran Read – 6
Turned over and penalised close to the All Blacks line in the early going. Pinged again for offside later. Awful pass from the base of a scrum surrendered territory the All Blacks had just won. Charged down a Jacob Stockdale chip only to knock on and bomb a potential try. Made 14 tackles. Decision to take a 40m three pointer in late stages may be questioned.

9. Aaron Smith – 6
Nothing spectacular from ‘Nuggy’ in his record breaking 82nd test – now New Zealand’s most capped halfback. Crucial tackle on dangerous Ireland fullback Rob Kearney was his best moment.

10. Beauden Barrett – 6.5
Made more of an impact after shifting to fullback. Was accurate off the tee but ultimately unable to crack the Irish defence. Got caught trying to do too much in a desperate time when he had an offload picked off 10 metres from the Irish line.

11. Rieko Ioane – 6.5
Threatened when he got the ball, but opportunities were scarce. Finished with a team-high 69 metres with ball in hand, only converted one of his four tackle attempts. Another player that got caught trying to do too much, also had a post-break offload intercepted.

12. Ryan Crotty – 7
Shored up the midfield alongside Goodhue. The pair combined for 37 tackles without a miss. Was direct with ball in hand.

13. Jack Goodhue – 7
Made a game-high 19 tackles and did some tidy work over the ball. Will have breathed a sigh of relief after a Rob Kearney knock-on saved a try following a bobbled catch attempt.

14. Ben Smith – 6.5
Typically effective with ball in hand and under the high ball. Excellent work during an early chip and chase. Rushed up and was caught out in the lead up to Jacob Stockdale’s try.

15. Damian McKenzie – 6
Safe under the high ball. Had limited opportunities with ball in hand and couldn’t penetrate the Irish defence. Sparked a couple of breaks with some smart offloading and a thoughtful kick ahead.

Reserves:

Scott Barrett was called upon early and made the most of his extended run. Finished with eight carries, ten tackles and a turnover. Made more of an impact that Squire.

Reserve halfback TJ Perenara changed the pace of the All Blacks attack and helped orchestrate their comeback efforts, delivering quick ball and trying to make things happen. Kicks during late stages were questionable.

Anton Lienert-Brown made an immediate impact and threatened with ball in hand before fading in the final stages.

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