New Zealand media reaction: ‘Ireland not smart and savvy like in Chicago’

Former All Black Justin Marshall admitted New Zealand got out of jail with Saturday’s victory over Ireland in the Aviva Stadium.

Marshall, now a respected columnist with the New Zealand Herald, felt the All Blacks can count themselves lucky not to have slumped to a second defeat to Joe Schmidt’s men this month.

He wrote: “I’ve been in All Blacks dressing rooms, particularly earlier in my career, where I’ve sat down after a test and gone: ‘How the hell did we win that?’ I think there would have been a similar feeling among the guys. Twenty odd missed tackles is a lot. And it was disconcerting to see one Irish prop brush off three would-be All Blacks tacklers and (Sean) O’Brien do the same. But when tackles had to be made, they were made. When the scrum had to hold, it did. When the lineout had to be won, it was.”