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Ireland player ratings vs Maori All Blacks

Ireland players, from left, Jordan Larmour, Cian Prendergast, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland continued their resurgence in New Zealand by avenging their loss to the Maori All Blacks two weeks ago with a 30-24 win in Wellington on Tuesday.

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After an ill-disciplined loss to the Maori All Blacks in Hamilton, Ireland learned from all their mistakes and produced a dominant display, with plenty of players putting their hands up for selection. Here’s how the players rated:

15. Michael Lowry- 6
Was caught in an undesirable position for the Maori All Blacks’ opening try of the match, but on the whole put in a solid display. Was full of attacking intent from the back field or when in space and always looked a threat.

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Sam Cane talks to media ahead of third test against Ireland in Wellington | All Blacks press conference

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Sam Cane talks to media ahead of third test against Ireland in Wellington | All Blacks press conference

14. Jordan Larmour- 7.5 
A performance bookended with two tries, including brilliantly taken opener, where his quick thinking combined with his quick feet. Came off his wing often in attack and defence to great effect, but his performance was marred by the yellow card/ penalty try he conceded.

13. Keith Earls- 6
Not the start any player wants, miscontrolling a skidding kick-off, but bounced back quickly when assisting Larmour’s try with a quick lineout.

12. Stuart McCloskey- 7
Maybe not the performance with ball in hand he would have wanted, but was a rock in defence, holding up players on a couple of occasions to win turnovers. With that said, he did miss a tackle in the final play for the Brad Weber try. Has to be commended for the sublime miss pass for Larmour’s second try.

11. Jimmy O’Brien- 5.5
A quiet game compared to the first match against the Maori All Blacks, and saw far less action than his back three companions.

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10. Ciaran Frawley- 7.5
Learned his lesson from the match two weeks ago to produce a commanding display with the boot, as Ireland comprehensively won the kicking battle. In tough conditions he was solid from the tee, but was pinpoint accurate with his kicks from hand to keep the hosts pinned back. Even contributed with a turnover in the second half.

9. Craig Casey- 6.5
Brought his forwards into the game well around the ruck, as he did in Hamilton. Complemented Frawley well with the boot, producing a number of probing box kicks.

1. Jeremy Loughman- 6
Solid in all aspects of the game during the hour he was on the field. Few standout moments, but equally never put a foot wrong during the hour he was on the field.

2. Niall Scannell- 6.5
Typified Ireland’s rebound from the first encounter with a rucking masterclass in the first-half, winning turnovers and even pouncing with an interception. Lineout throwing was slightly loose in the second-half but overall a solid display.

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3. Tom O’Toole- 6
Like his loosehead partner Loughman, dependable and busy all game, although he was penalised for collapsing a scrum midway through the second-half.

4. Joe McCarthy- 5.5
Gave away a string of penalties in the first-half which was redolent of the team’s display two weeks ago, but shored up in the second-half.

5. Kieran Treadwell- 8.5
A huge performance from the Ulster lock. A frequent target in the lineout, and produced one crucial steal five metres from his line in the first-half. Got through a huge amount of work, and seemed all over the pitch. Wasn’t just a case of a high workrate though, as he often exhibited how strong he is in contact. Taken off before the hour mark, which bodes well for the weekend.

6. Cian Prendergast- 6.5
Another industrious display in defence, winning a crucial breakdown penalty early on. Did receive a first-half yellow card for not retreating ten metres, but does not deter from another promising performance. 

7. Nick Timoney- 8
Another player that righted the wrongs of the first encounter with a physical and menacing performance that was topped off with a try. A thorn in the side of the Maori All Blacks at the breakdown all match, and had won over referee Karl Dickson. Showed great strength the wrestle the ball over the line for his try.

8. Gavin Coombes- 8
Yet another strong display around the fringes on both sides of the ball and proved again how hard he is to stop from close range. Coombes’ carrying got stronger and stronger as the match progressed and was able to make some piercing runs late on.

Replacements- 6
Few replacements were called upon in this match, but the ones that did play managed to maintain Ireland’s control. Ryan Baird was the pick of the substitutes.

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J
JW 2 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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