The capital performance of Tadhg Beirne, the address of Johnny Sexton but also the match without relief of Rieko Ioane and an all-black game in slow motion. Find our Tops/Flops after the Irish success with the New Zealanders (22-32).
Tops
Tadhg Beirne impose in the loi
It was not good to cross paths with Tadhg Beirne this Saturday in Wellington. The Irish second line reigned supreme over this game by scraping countless balls, especially in key moments. In the 73rd minute, it was he who put an end to the last hopes of the locals by recovering the oval in his 22 meters. Two minutes earlier, he caused Samuel Whitelock to foul and again sent the Blacks back to their camp. The colossus of Munster has made its power speak and will remain as one of the major players in this historic victory for the XV of Clover.
Johnny Sexton: a foot always so silky
Despite his 37 springs and his multiple concussion protocols, Johnny Sexton remains fresh as a roach. And above all retains surgical precision in the face of the posts. This Saturday he passed almost everything, with the exception of the first transformation and a very distant penalty, more than 50 meters away. Enough to cross the milestone of 1000 points scored under the jersey flanked by clover. All this without counting his permanent harassment work on the opposing ball carrier.
Ardie Savéa, the revolt was not enough
Overall struggling in front of their Wellington audience, the All Blacks nevertheless sent shivers through the Irish defense at the start of the second half. A revolt clearly instilled by the third row Ardie Savea who first reduced the mark to the 44th by resisting the tackle from Beirne. Before starting a big scraping job which allowed his team to keep balls which they immediately returned to the Irish in the first period. He’s also the one who cleverly passes on Will Jordan for the 60th-minute hopeful try. We can of course blame him for this offside position which precedes the test of Rob Herring (65th) but without his dynamism, it is difficult to imagine the Blacks not sinking this Saturday.
Flops
Rieko Ioane for sale
Unlike his brother, Akira, rather to his advantage, the 3/4 center of the Blacks, Rieko Ioane wasted several ammunition in favor of his people, especially during the first act. In the 39th minute, when his team finally managed to gain ground, he had poor control of the ball and committed a forward synonymous with a lost ball. It was also he who lost the oval in front of Van der Flier in the 25th minute. A blunder that will lead to the test of Hugo Keenan, the second for the Irish. In the second half, he did very little before giving way to the 70th.
All-Blacks far too slow
Usually supersonic in their transmissions, the players of Ian Foster surprised by their lack of liveliness and dynamism this Saturday. Faced with an Irish defense well in place, except during the first quarter of an hour of the second act, they lacked ideas, movements around the ball carrier but above all speed of execution. Perhaps the most worrying failure on the part of the Blacks.
New Zealand forwards, absent subscribers
Unable to resist the power of the Irish pack, Ian Foster’s team failed to correct the situation after the second test match which had already pointed to the difficulties of the Blacks in the sector. The locals still conceded two tries on carried balls where the Irish forwards made short work of their counterparts. A very unusual weakness in a selection whose near future is not encouraging.