New Zealand play against Ireland

Second in the Six Nations after France, Ireland chose to test itself in adversity fifteen months before the World Cup, by going to challenge New Zealand three times on its own soil. And for the first of three confrontations between the two teams, the All Blacks did not go into detail, with a 42-19 victory over Eden Park in Auckland, allowing them to avenge, after the 29-20 defeat in Dublin last. November. This meeting was astonishing, on a New Zealand night when the thermometer showed 11 degrees Celsius, with no fewer than nine attempts recorded. And the festival started from the sixth minute, and it was not the blacks who opened the scoring, but the Irish, by Keith Earls, after close play and a good turn from Jonathan Sexton and Gary Ringrose (0-5). New Zealand took a while to get into their game, but starting in the 20th minute, they started their festival. It was first Jordi Barrett who scored, while Leicester Finjanoko was stopped a few centimeters from the line before (7-5), then Sevo Reis made a small personal feat by scoring a 70-meter attempt, after intercepting a volley. From Ringrose (14-5). Quinn Tupaea found the opening in turn, after a brilliant little kick from Beauden Barrettt on the 22nd (21-5) streak, and three minutes later, Ardie Savea wrapped up this first half of the best way for the Blacks, by flattening the ball that Aaron Smith had just replayed, after That failed to score after a kick to follow by himself (28-5, MT).

Revenge next Saturday in Dunedin?

As in the first half, Ireland was the first to score in the second half, by way of Ringrose in 44th place at the end of the line-up on the left side (28-12). But New Zealand wasn’t worried for long. Ardie Savea made his second attempt in the evening in the 53rd minute, breaking through the defense after a touch (35-12) and then Pita Gus Sowakula celebrated his first pick in the best possible way by scoring after a solid 5m scrum (42-12). After three attempts were not allowed, Ireland ended up scoring just before the Mermaid, by Auckland’s original Bundy Ake after a close play (42-19), but there was clearly no match between the two teams. New Zealand, dominant in many areas and especially in the conquest, will try to achieve the double next Saturday on the Dunedin side.