Will Jordan’s late strive handed New Zealand a snug 23-13 victory over an error-strewn Eire in Dublin.
The boot of participant of the match Damien McKenzie, restored to the quantity 10 shirt with Beauden Barrett out with concussion, stored New Zealand forward of and Eire workforce who have been uncharacteristically poor in what was their first worldwide of the autumn.
Eire scored the opening strive of the sport by means of Josh van der Flier shortly after half-time to take a 13-9 lead, with New Zealand all the way down to 14 males after Jordie Barrett was sin binned for a excessive deal with.
Nonetheless, extra penalties from McKenzie, plus Jordan’s rating within the 68th minute, gave the All Blacks a snug lead they by no means relinquished.
“It was intense on the market,” Eire skipper Caelan Doris mentioned post-match, ruing his aspect’s ill-discipline.
“They have been high quality, we weren’t adequate.”
New Zealand led heading into half-time by means of McKenzie’s boot, though Munster flyhalf Jack Cowley stored Eire within the contest with two penalties of his personal.
The hole at half-time was simply three factors after Barrett was despatched to the sin bin simply earlier than the break for a excessive shot on Garry Ringrose.
The TMO determined a yellow card was adequate, to the reduction of the All Blacks, who conceded the primary strive of the sport to van der Flier when down a person.
Jordie Barrett was sin binned for this shot on Garry Ringrose. (Getty Pictures: Sportfile/Seb Daly)
That gave Eire the lead, however these repeated infringements continued to harm the Irish, with McKenzie persevering with to build up factors off the tee earlier than Jordan completed off a well-constructed transfer within the nook.
Within the remaining 10 minutes, Eire pushed for a strive, with ex-New Zealand Māori winger James Lowe kicking the Irish right into a distinguished place from an not possible angle to get the group off their ft.
Nonetheless, one other error on the breakdown noticed the All Blacks clear their strains.
Though a lot of the Irish have been responsible, second half substitute Ciarán Frawley specifically had a shocker for Eire’s Six Nations champions, the Leinster man dropping ball after ball to repeatedly hand New Zealand possession after he got here on.
“We knew coming right here it was going to be an extremely powerful match,” McKenzie mentioned.
“Take a look at matches like which can be received in small moments, and we capitalised on a few these moments.”
It ended world primary Eire’s 19-match unbeaten run in Dublin, and was arguably New Zealand’s greatest efficiency below coach Scott Robertson.
The win in opposition to the provides the All Blacks an ideal begin to their Spring Tour following their 24-22 victory over England final week.
Eire, who had received two matches in a row in opposition to the All Blacks in New Zealand in 2022, have now misplaced two-straight, together with New Zealand’s 24-28 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal victory in 2023.
Eire now host Argentina, Fiji and the Wallabies on consecutive weekends.
