Simmering tensions threatened to boil over in the 13th minute during a scuffle involving Kiwi captain Scott Barrett and Ireland lock Joe McCarthy. New Zealand were in the ascendency for large parts of the first half and it required some last-ditch defending to prevent them fully capitalising. That incident briefly shifted the momentum and Ireland were rewarded for a rapid start to the second half by Van der Flier plundering the game’s opening try. Josh van der Flier, centre, scores Ireland’s try against New Zealand (Niall Carson/PA)Yet just a point separated the sides by the time All Blacks centre Barrett returned after McKenzie landed a long-range penalty before later striking the posts with a similar attempt. Ireland’s repeated infringements were quickly becoming costly as the stop-start contest started to slip away.

Source: The Herald November 08, 2024 22:28 UTC