International
All Blacks rack up half century in rout of Pumas
Redemption rugby from the All Blacks paralysed Argentina who were denied any sniff of opportunity in a seven try 53-3 win for New Zealand in the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test in Hamilton on Saturday.
Wet weather rugby from the All Blacks, pressure applied through kick-chasing and superior offensive tackling unsettled Argentina. They were a shadow of the side that won the first Test, lacking the intensity in the face of a committed home side.
Improved discipline also denied Argentina the goal-kicking chances of the first Test while there was more dominance at the breakdown.
The scene was set at the outset when in front of his posts lock Tomas Lavinini dropped the ball and Argentina conceded an early penalty. And things never improved.
It was a game that saw captain Sam Cane lead from the front with his best game of the season while evidence of a maturing midfield combination between second five-eighths David Havili and centre Rieko Ioane could not have been more obvious.
Havili was the back room master, doing the nuts and bolts work that freed up Ioane to show his best attacking intent.
But the pack were not to be outshone, hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho and his front row allies try scoring Ethan de Groot and Tyrell Lomax were superb while blindside flanker Shannon Frizell was much more of the enforcer the All Blacks have lacked.
The option-taking was vastly improved. Applying short chip and grubber kicks, the All Blacks turned Argentine around often and they showed their discomfort. No8 Pablo Matera was a battler for his side but his record-equalling 15th Test appearance for Argentina against the All Blacks was not a night to remember.
Nine minutes into the half, wing Will Jordan and centre Rieko Ioane contested a kick to take the ball forward. Ioane had a second run to set up a quick ruck and de Groot was able to slide across the line on the back of his momentum on the wet ground.
Sixteen minutes into the game a chip kick from first five-eighths Richie Mo’unga was contested, with quick ball and a slick pass from flanker Sam Cane giving Ioane room, and time, to run in and out of wing Emiliano Boffelli to feed wing Caleb Clarke in for a try.
Argentina finally got some consistent ball in the second quarter, but dogged All Blacks defence confined the damage to a Boffelli penalty goal.
But as soon as the restart occurred, Jordan applied the pressure to the catcher and with quick forward support, a turnover was achieved and a penalty was tapped by the ever-present, and diligent, No8 Ardie Savea. It looked to produce a try for hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, but it was ruled out for a knock-on, unluckily as it turned out, as an Argentina arm looked to knock the ball.
However, the All Blacks were under advantage, and with Lavanini sin-binned for foul play, they took a scrum and a powerful shove allowed Havili to slip the shortest of passes to Ioane, who had his reward for a good first half with a try under the posts.
Argentina threw everything into the third quarter, their only reward seeing replacement prop Fletcher Newell sent to the sin-bin. But that didn’t stop the All Blacks who, gaining a scrum from another Argentina mistake, ran the ball, initially in helter-skelter fashion, but then straightened by, who else, than Ioane?
He raced 50 metres, and, in the tackle, passed back up to replacement halfback Finlay Christie. He moved the ball on with Cane twice prominent, including handing the final pass for fullback Jordie Barrett to score.
Another breakout saw Savea in his element and from a penalty lineout, he accepted a pass from replacement hooker Dane Coles to score.
Putting the icing on the cake was a determination after the final hooter had blown to work the ball under penalty pressure to in front of the Argentine posts. A scrum option was requested and acting skipper Savea ran off the back drawing the defence and replacement first five-eighths Beauden Barrett spied the gap and took it to score.
Mission accomplished with an 80-minute performance that was everything that had been asked for and keep Rugby Championship hopes alive.
New Zealand 53 (Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea, Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett tries; Richie Mo’unga 4 con 2 pen; Jordie Barrett 2 con) Argentina 3 (Emiliano Boffelli pen). HT: 24-3
Content & Images from – New Zealand Rugby
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Jordan signs for Bristol Bears
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
