Ireland A: Seven-try All Blacks XV outclass hosts in Dublin
- Published
Marty Moore scored a try on his first appearance in an Ireland jersey since 2015
Ireland A v All Blacks XV |
|---|
Ireland A (7) 19 |
Tries: Frawley, Moore, Deegan Con: Frawley, Crowley |
All Blacks XV (19) 47 |
Tries: Stevenson 2, McAllister, Love, Ennor, Lam, McKenzie Cons: McKenzie 6 |
An All Blacks XV produced a clinical display to beat Ireland A 47-19 in their first match at the RDS in Dublin.
Broadie McAllister added to two blistering Shaun Stevenson tries in the first half, while Ciaran Frawley crashed over for Ireland.
Ruben Love, Braydon Ennor, AJ Lam and Damian McKenzie added further scores for the All Blacks after the restart.
Marty Moore and Max Deegan grabbed consolation tries for Ireland.
The All Blacks took the lead in the 12th minute when Ireland were stretched and fly-half McKenzie, who has won 40 senior New Zealand caps, spotted a mismatch on the wing with Irish scrum-half Craig Casey up against Stevenson, and the winger used his significant height advantage to pluck the ball out of the air and race over.
The visitors soon extended their advantage when Jacob Stockdale, in his first Ireland appearance for 18 months, was penalised close to the Irish line and McAllister rounded off the rolling maul.
McAllister's try seemed to spark Ireland into life and they ventured into the New Zealand half for the first time, however a loose line-out was collected by McKenzie, who raced clear and fed Stevenson, and the Chiefs winger danced over for his second try of the match.
Ireland's blushes were spared when it looked like Love had crossed for a fourth score, however play was brought back for a penalty call on Luke Jacobson, who was sent to the bin for an illegal clearout on Ulster centre James Hume.
The hosts had to wait for a score but when it arrived it was a well-worked team effort. Some slicks hands and clever offloads saw the ball worked through Hume, Cian Prendergast and Tom O'Toole before the Ulster prop fed Frawley, who crashed over amongst a pile of black jerseys.
All Blacks race clear
It took the All Blacks 30 seconds after the restart to rebuild their lead when Stevenson raced clear and found experienced scrum-half TJ Perenara, who had the job of teeing up Love for an easy score.
Ennor was the next to scythe through the Irish defence, with McKenzie again the architect, but the loudest cheer of the night came for replacement prop Moore, who burrowed over for Ireland's second try in his first appearance in a green shirt since 2015.
However, that restbite was brief and the All Blacks came again, stretched the home defence which allowed Lam to ease his way over in the corner.
McKenzie, New Zealand's star player, added a seventh try under the posts with eight minutes to play, and Deegan powered over after a superb offload by winger Calvin Nash to grab Ireland's third try in the closing stages.
Ireland's senior side face world champions South Africa on Saturday, with kick-off at the Aviva Stadium at 17:30 GMT.
Ireland A: Lowry; Nash; Osborne, Hume; Stockdale; Frawley, Casey; Loughman, Heffernan, O'Toole; McCarthy, Thornbury; Prendergast, Timoney, Coombes.
Replacements: Barron, Kilcoyne, Moore, Molony, Deegan, Blade, Crowley, Daly.
All Blacks XV: Love; Stevenson; Ennor, Tuivasa-Sheck; Lam; McKenzie, Perenara; Mikaele-Tu'u, Jacobson, Gardiner; Tuipulotu, Dickson; Mafileo, McAlister, Ross.
Replacements: Thompson, Brewis, Williams, Gallagher, Lio-Willie, Roigard, Ioane, Nankivell.
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