Player ratings: how Irish players performed in defeat to All Blacks
STICKING TOGETHER: Ireland players Rónan Kelleher, left, and Finlay Bealham after their side's defeat. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Back in the fold after his Sevens sabbatical, Keenan was eager to bring his classic XVs skills to bear, the safe pair of hands at the rear and the willing support runner, defensively sound but few openings.
Another one back in the colours after ceding his place to Calvin Nash, Hansen was there to be busy, to be reliable and to strike hard when opportunity presented itself. Few chances.
The crowd cheered the Leinster centre to the rafters as he smoked his opposite number, the pantomime villain of the night, Rieko Ioane. Ever available but Ireland struggled to get their attack going.
Atoned for an early knock-on, leading the way as Ireland finally managed to stir themselves and mount a meaningful attack which led to a yellow card against the All Blacks and three points. Terrific hold-up on Cane before Ireland try.
The big, booming Lowe left boot was in evidence all evening as the wing cleared his lines with customary skill, one massive 50:22 the pick. Chased hard, leapt high and managed to keep the potent All Black attack honest.
If it was Ciaran Frawley that stole the headlines in the summer then it was Crowley that was entrusted with setting the right tone here, place-kicking soundly but occasional fumble and replaced earlyish.
Even if there were not as many occasions when Gibson-Park could zip the ball away, or zip himself away, he still managed to feature significantly with a try-saving chase-back tackle on Damian McKenzie. Great defender.
There was great acclaim for an early Porter charge-down on Cortez Ratima but the prop knew that his main function was in the scrum as the All Black put on the squeeze throughout. It was tough at the coal-face but Porter prominent round field.
Hooker was a real issue at one point for Andy Farrell with a ton of injuries but Kelleher fought his way back and but lacked minutes (only 11 played beforehand) and the tight scrum was creaking all night. Lineout wobbled, too.
It needed a big man to step up for the injured Tadhg Furlong and Belham was well used to performing that role. Bealham had to dig deep to stay in the contest and was quickly back on field when Tom O’Toole had a head knock.
As ever, Joe McCarthy’s brief was a simple one – to be hard, to be relentless, to be a force-field of resistance as well as an all-consuming nuisance on the go-forward. Was at the heart of an early scuffle to delight of watching ‘Gladiator’ Paul Mescal.
Not at his most productive, getting hassled at the lineout with New Zealand closing the gap without complaint, Ryan also getting penalised a couple of times for not rolling clear at the breakdown.
In the close-quarter arm-wrestle Beirne scuffled away with the best of them but was not able to impose himself round the field in his usual manner. 5
There was not a second’s rest for van der Flier with dangerous New Zealand runners everywhere, notably big beats such as Wallace Sititi. Van der Flier stuck to his task and took try so well.
The calm one in the midst of the mayhem, Doris has been hailed by Andy Farrell a man ‘without ego..walking tall’ in his new role as captain. Manful as usual, making yards but he simply could not spark anything decisive.
: Andy Farrell went to the bench early with a four-man squad sent on just before the hour mark with Ciaran Frawley deputed to do as he had done in South Africa in the summer with match-winning drop-goals. It didn’t materialise. The out-half had a nightmare time of it. Tom O’Toole lasted no more than two minutes. Iain Henderson had the job of shoring the scrum but yielded a crucial penalty.
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