Maori All Blacks vs Ireland player ratings

See how the Ireland players fared as their tour opens up with a loss to the Maori All Blacks

Kieran Treadwell carries during Ireland's opening tour defeat. Photograph: Michael Bradley/AFP via Getty Images
Kieran Treadwell carries during Ireland's opening tour defeat. Photograph: Michael Bradley/AFP via Getty Images

15. Jimmy O’Brien

Decent backfield coverage in the first half and had one good late angle through a soft shoulder. Mixed bag in the kicking game, punished when he offered too much time to Zarn Sullivan to launch a pin-point 50:22. Rating: 5

14. Jordan Larmour

Not asked to do a lot with ball in hand as Ireland often failed to get to width. Two excellent defensive reads while solid in the aerial game. Rating: 7

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13. James Hume

One good early break but not afforded the space to utilise his usually devastating footwork. Limped off on the 50 minute mark. Rating: 5

Maori All Blacks 32 Ireland 17 (FT) as it happenedOpens in new window ]

12. Bundee Aki

Clearly pumped up for this one with a big early shot that dislodged the ball from Bill Proctor. Guilty of a number of breakdown penalties while he was burned on the outside by Josh Ioane for Shaun Stevenson’s score. Took his own try well in recognising gap opened by Coombes Rating: 5

11. Keith Earls

Left on his own far too often in the wide channels. Looked panicked at times when deciding if to jam in or stay put and marshal Stevenson. Also suffered from a lack of attacking ball in his channel. Rating: 4

10. Ciarán Frawley

Some nice touches when running behind decoys but failed to take control of the game in the first half when his pack couldn’t hold onto the ball for more than five phases. Tried something different after the break with cross-kicks but had limited success. Rating: 5

9. Craig Casey

Looking for half-gaps as ever but also guilty of failing to orchestrate something different when attacking struggles began to show themselves. Rating: 5

1. Jeremy Loughman

Passed his HIA in the first minute but failed to make an impact either in the loose while the scrum was a concern. Didn’t remerge after half-time. Rating: 4

2. Dave Heffernan

Lineout looked more secure with Niall Scannell in charge of darts. Decent workload with nine tackles. Rating: 5

3. Tom O’Toole

Fared much better in the scrum against Maori replacement loosehead Tamaiti Williams. Tackle count low by his usual standards and more was needed from him in the carry. Deserves credit for going the full 80. Rating: 5

4. Kieran Treadwell

High tackle count but guilty of one of those offloads that a teammate wasn’t expecting. Called ashore 50 minutes in. Rating: 5

5. Joe McCarthy

Did what is needed from him without being spectacular. Ireland’s leading tackler, a handful of strong carries while he hit his rucks and had one defensive turnover. Rating: 6

Sloppy Ireland open tour with heavy defeat to Maori All BlacksOpens in new window ]

6. Cian Prendergast

Looked for plenty of work but slipped off the odd tackle and was a guilty party in the team-wide discipline problem. Rating: 5

7. Nick Timoney

Much-improved second half. Offered more carrying in wide channels but slipped off a few attempted chop-tackles. Part of a back-row unit outplayed at the breakdown. Rating: 6

8. Gavin Coombes

Drew two defenders in the 10 channel to feed Aki for the first half score but more was needed from him carrying-wise in the first half. After the break was one of Ireland’s lone sources of go-forward, rewarded with his try. Rating: 7

Bench

Disaster struck first when Cian Healy was called into a bigger shift than initially required before being carted off with an ankle/foot injury. Scannell was good with his darts while Bealham admirably avoided penalties when asked to scrummage out of position. Ryan Baird busy without much impact, Mike Lowry asked to play out of position due to the Hume injury while Jack Conan got a few token seconds. Joey Carbery got a run out at 15, linked nicely with Frawley a handful of times but put one left-footed clearance out on the full. Conor Murray was left where he was. Rating: 5

Coaching Staff

Impossible to replicate match intensity in training but preparation needs to be questioned when discipline and skillset fails as badly as they did under opposition pressure. Andy Farrell is now presented with a disaster situation with just one fit loosehead in the squad just days out from the first Test. Plenty of players asked to play out of position off the bench in a case of just plugging holes where possible. Rating: 5

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns is an Irish Times journalist