Ireland’s Strong Start Eclipsed As New Zealand Draw First Blood

Ireland were made to pay for a sloppy finish to the first half, leaking three tries in quick succession as New Zealand won the opening Test 42-19 at Eden Park.

Match Photo Gallery: New Zealand 42 Ireland 19

Sevu Reece’s intercept score was the beginning of Ireland’s downfall, the injury-enforced loss of captain Jonathan Sexton keenly felt as Quinn Tupaea and Ardie Savea suddenly stretched the hosts’ lead out to 28-5.

A well-finished fifth-minute try from Keith Earls – his 35th for his country – was the highpoint of a bright Irish start which saw Dan Sheehan and Peter O’Mahony stand out in the loose.

Just when Ireland were building to reply to a Jordie Barrett seven-pointer, a James Lowe slip led to Reece racing clear to rock the tourists back on their heels.

Lowe set up a diving, one-handed finish from Garry Ringrose early on the restart, cutting the gap to 28-12 with replacement Joey Carbery converting from out wide.

The second half was evenly-fought, giving Ireland some momentum to take into next week’s clash in Dunedin. A superb Savea score effectively sealed the result with half an hour remaining.

The Irish forwards were held up on a number of occasions and, frustratingly, TMO decisions denied tries for Carbery and Josh van der Flier with Rieko Ioane twice coming to New Zealand’s rescue.

It was a try apiece down the final stretch, Kiwi debutant Pita Gus Sowakula charging over from a scrum before Bundee Aki hit back from a Conor Murray pass.

A late consolation score eluded Ireland as the All Blacks, despite losing replacement Karl Tu’inukuafe to the sin bin, kept out both Andrew Porter and Jack Conan before foiling an Irish maul just a few metres out.

Speaking in the aftermath, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said: “We’re disappointed to lose but I think you have got to take the context of the game, understand what they’re good at, what we need to do better, and what we did really well at the same time.

“We did a lot of good things out there. We caused them a lot of trouble, especially in that second half. I’ve seen plenty of teams fold with a scoreline like that at half-time but we showed plenty of resolve.

“I counted five times we had opportunities to score and didn’t quite convert for whatever reason. There are things to fix and get answers from as far as our set-piece is concerned.

“But in reality, they hit us on the break, didn’t they? We started well and they hit us on the break. Before you know it, the scoreboard is well against you.”

He added: “We’ve come over here to find out about ourselves as far as how we push forward. There’s a question to be asked next week as far as the second Test is concerned because that’s where the series is decided.

“But I can tell already we’re really up for the fight. There’s nothing better than a New Zealand tour to test your resolve. The lads are up for it.

“It’s an opportunity missed but we’re up for the fight, for the challenge. That’s why we’re here. We want these types of situations.”

Sexton went off for a head injury assessment in the first half and did not return, while replacement hooker Dave Heffernan was taken off in the 66th minute and has a ‘confirmed concussion’.

“Johnny is good,” said Farrell. “He has just passed his HIA 2 so he’s got a HIA 3 to do in the next couple of days and he’s in good form out there.”

It has been an attritional start to the summer tour for Ireland, particularly in the front row where Niall Scannell and Ed Byrne have been called up in recent days.

Finlay Bealham missed out on a bench spot due to Covid-19, which also sidelined his Connacht colleague Mack Hansen. With James Hume (groin) joining the injury list, fellow Ulsterman Stuart McCloskey will fly out to join the squad in New Zealand.