The match between New Zealanders and Irishmen was intense, but not very spectacular. The Irish were too penalized at the heart of the rucks and the All-Blacks offered a masterpiece of pragmatism (23-13).
A test everywhere. The Ireland – New Zealand match was not very spectacularbut it gave rise to a fierce battle, particularly in the regroupings. Both teams scratched balls but the Irish faltered in one sector, their tacklers were often penalized for not letting go of the ball or withdrawing quickly enough from the contact zone. They conceded five penalties, three of which were attempted and successful by Damian McKenzie. This represents nine of the ten points difference between the two teams (23-13). The All Blacks were less penalized, like a huge third line, notably Ardie Savea, (shining both in attack and defense). One statistic dominates all the others, the All-Blacks were only penalized five times in this meeting (compared to thirteen times for their opponents).
Twelve huge clearances from McKenzie and Jordie Barrett
The Blacks played less than ten minutes in their 22 meters. Looking back at the match, we realize that the long-footed play of Damian McKenzie and Jordie Barrett had a lot of weight. At least twelve times, they significantly reversed an Irish pressure which was announced by enormous clearances.
Around an absolutely superb Scott Barrett, the New Zealanders also knew how to defend against several dangerous Irish mauls. Finally, in terms of conquest, the All Blacks were not royal, but they managed to disrupt at least four opposing shots. In the scrum, we felt the Irish right-hander Finlay Bealham in difficulty, sometimes falling back, sometimes forced to push across. He left his place to Tom O'Toole before returning only two minutes later, after the new arrival was released on concussion protocol, undoubtedly one of the turning points of the match. Tadhg Furlong was greatly missed. More generally, the Irish entries were hardly successful, that of Ciaran Frawley, the Leinster fly-half even came close to disaster.
Roigard brought speed
The match was pragmatic, but Scott Robertson's men scored a good final try, on a wide-wide sequence concluded by Will Jordan on the left wing after a pass from his hooker Asafo Aumua. It was one of the few truly unflinching actions of the men in black. But it seemed to us that in the second half, the entry of scrum half Cam Roigard brought speed and fluidity. The holder Cortez Ratima had been in difficulty several times behind his rucks in the first half, he seemed surprisingly borrowed. But perhaps it is also because the Irish forwards managed to exert a lot of pressure on ball releases in the first half, an advantage which they lost after the break.
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