FULL TIME: Ireland 30 Maori All Blacks 24. Andy Farrell’s men win in Wellington! Ireland too strong for the Maori All Blacks today with some strong defensive performances. An eventful game for Jordan Larmour saw him score two tries and get a yellow card. Maori All Blacks made several errors, forced by good Irish defence, but lit up with nice passages of play from winger Shaun Stevenson and substitute Ruben Love in particular. Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes with the other tries for Ireland.. Keith Earls wins as captain on his 97th cap for Ireland.
80 mins: TRY FOR MAORI ALL BLACKS. Another brilliant break by Ruben Love who plays to Brad Weber. Scintillating play but too little too late for the Maori All Blacks.
Ireland 30 Maori All Blacks 24
78 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Great dart by Casey makes ground as Earls carries well towards the line. Fantastic drilled pass to the wing by Stuart McCloskey and Larmour runs it over. Frawley misses the conversion
Ireland 30 All Blacks 17
74 mins: Yellow card for Maori All Blacks. Stevenson for attempting an illegal interception, big boost for Ireland as he’ll miss the rest of the game.
Ireland 25 Maori All Blacks 17
72 mins: TRY FOR MAORI ALL BLACKS. Ruben Love shimmies and breaks on the wing who plays Grace who plays a fantastic pass one handed back to Love. Super try. Conversion missed by Ioane.
Ireland 25 Maori All Blacks 17
68 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Ireland turned over a line-out, and pushed almost on the line. Gavin Coombes picks the ball up and powers over. Frawley misses the conversion.
Ireland 25 Maori All Blacks 12
65 mins: Frawley kicks into the corner, line-out inside the 22. Ryan Baird catches safely and lovely grubber kick by Casey almost breaks through but back for a penalty. Another line-out collected by Baird. This time good work by Maori All Blacks on the breakdown and they win penalty for not releasing the ball.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
63 mins: A few sloppy moments for the Maori All Blacks, Ioane kicking over the end line, Maori’s not throwing straight from a line-out. Maori’s penalised again for making tackle on the ground and it’s another Ireland penalty.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
57 mins: Ireland run down a lot of time with Larmour out at the scrum. Great work by Nick Timoney and Ireland win a penalty and Larmour comes back on, 15 against 15 again.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
52 mins: Treadwell makes a good break through as Casey looks to move it quickly. But Ireland lose the ball and Maori All Blacks break. Garden-Bachop kicks forward and Lowry saves, while Prendergast kicks the ball clear under pressure. Delaney with another great carry and offload. Moorby is held up and Ireland survive again and win scrum.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
49 mins: Change of momentum as Ireland push forward but All Blacks turn the ball over. Jimmy O’Brien picks the ball up sharply from a high ball and Ireland make ground and then Frawley kicks to the corner. But Maori All Blacks clear to near midfield.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
44 mins: TRY FOR MAORI ALL BLACKS. Delany breaks through with a marauding run and TMO review concludes Garden-Bachop was stopped illegally by Larmour with an early tackle. Yellow card for Larmour. Costly moment for Ireland.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 12
42 mins: IRELAND SCORE PENALTY! Four out of four by Frawley in the game as he extends Ireland’s lead after an early penalty.
Ireland 20 Maori All Blacks 5
HALF-TIME: Ireland 17 Maori All Blacks 5. A great performance by Ireland after the initial wave of attacks by Maori All Blacks, who scored through Shaun Stevenson. Strong defence by Ireland has limited the Maori All Blacks and forced them into a series of errors, with some important turnovers and steals changing the momentum of the game. A well improvised first try by Larmour and a second try by Timoney after a period of pressure have been the difference between the teams.
40 mins: Last attack of the half for Maori All Blacks but Niall Scannell steals. Craig Casey kicks it out of touch. More strong defending by Ireland. It’s half-time.
Ireland 17 Maori All Blacks 5
38 mins: Ireland lucky to get away with being penalised after Perenara seemed to have his arm touched from an offside position. Maori All Blacks come back up the pitch and go wide but again sloppy play as Nankivell knocks on. Prendergast sin bin is over.
Ireland 17 Maori All Blacks 5
34 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Ireland push forward with a relentless drive, Nick Timoney finds a gap in the the defend and puts it over. Frawley scores the conversion from an a difficult angle. Ireland in fine fettle and a 12 point lead.
Ireland 17 Maori All Blacks 5
33 mins: Yellow card for Ollie Norris for Maori All Blacks. Strong push from Ireland from the line-out but judged to be just short of the line as Ireland come back and win another penalty for a collapsing maul. They kick again to touch, driving through and Norris is penalised with a yellow.
Ireland 10 Maori All Blacks 5
28 mins: Yellow card for Ireland’s Cian Prendergast but Ireland steal the line-out and then a Frawley steal puts Ireland with a lineout deep inside Maori All Blacks’ half.
Ireland 10 Maori All Blacks 5
25 mins: IRELAND SCORE PENALTY. Solid scrum by Ireland and Frawley shimmy makes a bit of room as Ireland’s backs get a go at running at the opposition. Ireland win a penalty, conceded by Ollie Norris. Ireland elect to take the penalty and Frawley scores straight between the posts.
Ireland 10 Maori All Blacks 5
22 mins: Penalty for Maori All Blacks for Joe McCarthy’s hands in the ruck. They play for the corner and move quickly. But more strong defence by Ireland wins a penalty and relieves the pressure.
Ireland 7 Maori All Blacks 5
18 mins: Stevenson causing constant trouble to Ireland so far with another flashy layoff but a knock on by Sullivan. Maori with more than 40 carries so far, with windy conditions a factor. Ireland staying strong though after a slow start.
Ireland 7 Maori All Blacks 5
14 mins: Ball fumbles around midfield and Maori All Blacks collect. Ireland win the penalty but Frawley fails to make touch. Stevenson shows brilliant power and speed to break through thrillingly, but a knock-on by Lomax and Ireland escape.
Ireland 7 Maori All Blacks 5
8 mins: TRY FOR IRELAND! Brilliant improvisation with the quick line-out out of nowhere after a passing error put the ball out of play. Keith Earls passes to Jordan Larmour with Maori All Blacks not paying attention. An easy try for Larmour. Frawley scores the conversion in front of the posts.
Ireland 7 Maori All Blacks 5
3 mins: TRY FOR MAORI ALL BLACKS! Early knock on from Ireland and free kick to Maori All Blacks after the scrum. Maori advance to within 10 metres of the line and Ireland concede a penalty. They kick into the corner, Ireland under pressure. From the lineout they play it nicely wide and Shaun Stevenson finds lots of space for an early try. Josh Ioane misses the conversion from the sideline.
Maori All Blacks 5 Ireland 0
A late change to the Ireland squad Michael Bent has made it onto the Ireland bench after Finlay Bealham withdrew following the warm-up.
Gerry Thornley writes in unearthing “the four or five jewels” which Andy Farrell has stated he wants from this five-match tour of New Zealand, Ireland’s second meeting with the Maori is probably more relevant than any of the three tests. Ciaran Frawley is very much in the aforementioned category. Frawley plays outhalf, despite only starting one game at outhalf all season for Leinster.
“No more deserving of a man”, watch as Ireland coach Andy Farrell lauds first-time skipper Keith Earls, playing as centre today.
The teams today:
Maori All Blacks: 15. Josh Moorby; 14. Shaun Stevenson, 13. Bailyn Sullivan, 12. Alex Nankivell, 11. Connor Garden-Bachop; 10. Josh Ioane, 9. TJ Perenara; 1. Ollie Norris, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Tyrel Lomax; 4. Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 5. Isia Walker-Leawere; 6. Reed Prinsep, 7. Billy Harmon, 8. Cullen Grace.
Ireland: 15. Michael Lowry; 14 Jordan Larmour, 13. Keith Earls, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Jimmy O’Brien; 10. Ciaran Frawley, 9. Craig Casey; 1. Jeremy Loughman, 2. Niall Scannell, 3. Tom O’Toole; 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. Kieran Treadwell; 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Gavin Coombes
Referee: Karl Dickson
Good morning and welcome to coverage of the second game between the Maori All Blacks and Ireland on Irish rugby’s tour of New Zealand. Fresh off victory at the weekend against the All Blacks, Ireland’s alternate side will be looking to make their mark against the representative team of New Zealand rugby, where a prerequisitve for playing is that the player has Maori whakapapa. Keith Earls will captain the Irish side. Kickoff for the game in Wellington is at 8.05am.
