By Oisin Gaffey at the RDS
It was a heavy defeat for the Ireland 'A' team who took on a strong All Blacks select XV on Friday night at the RDS in Dublin.
The match finished 47-19 to the all blacks, a scoreline that fairly reflects the All Blacks' dominance from the onset. They asserted dominance throughout the first half, earning a commanding 19-0 lead with 30 minutes on the clock and were unfazed by Ciaran Frawley's try before half time.
It wasn't to be for this young Irish side as they came up against a brilliant All Blacks XV, who benefitted from experienced players such as Damien McKenzie and TJ Perenara.
Nonetheless, there is no questioning the value this experience will have on this group of players with a World Cup looming. Here are four players in particular who stood out for Ireland 'A', despite the heavy defeat
Ciaran Frawley
Despite just playing 46 minutes of the match, anything good from Ireland in the first half of the game came through the Leinster man. Frawley scored an excellent try in the 35th minute after a series of wonderful offloads from Jamie Osbourne, James Hume, Cian Prendergast and Tom O'Toole before the fly half dotted down the ball underneath the posts.
Frawley looked a real threat with ball in hand, posing a threat to the All Blacks defence. The versatility in his kicking, running and passing game helped Ireland gather momentum towards the end of the first half, but was ultimately not enough to keep Ireland in the game.
This experience will be valuable for Frawley as he looks to secure more game time in the fly half position after emerging as a real talent over the summer series in New Zealand.
Ireland were fairly unimpressive in this match, but anything positive came through Frawley. He is set to be an extremely important player for Ireland in the future.
WHAT A TRY! 🔥
Ciaran Frawley finishes a brilliant move for Ireland! 🟢#IREvNZ | #VMTVRugby pic.twitter.com/6CKEyRY10x— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 4, 2022
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Jeremy Loughman
New Zealand's physicality was on full display from the onset, and Ireland struggled to challenge this throughout the game. The breakdown in particular was an area in which the All Blacks enjoyed particular success.
Jeremy Loughman, however, produced an impressive display as he brought a level of physicality that was unmatched by his teammates. Loughman consistently gained metres in collisions when he carried the ball and produced some serious footwork at times.
The Irish scrum was strong throughout the game, providing a platform for Ireland to attack the All Blacks, thanks to the power and scrummaging of Loughman.
Loughman has shone in recent months whilst on tour in New Zealand and in South Africa and looks to be a talent coming through the ranks. He has shown he is capable of covering both tight-head and loose-head, thus making him a serious contender in the front row, with depth limited.
Loughman has a bright future in Irish Rugby, and was one of few shining lights on Friday night.
Calvin Nash
4 November 2022; Calvin Nash of Ireland is tackled during the match between Ireland A and All Blacks XV at RDS Arena in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Calvin Nash was due to be on the bench for Friday night's game, but with an injury to Robbie Henshaw altering the makeup of the senior squad, Nash was called into the starting lineup. The young Munster winger was eager to make an impact, and played a crucial role in Ireland's third try of the match.
Nash produced a remarkable offload in the 77th minute as he was hurtled towards touch, throwing the ball infield to Cian Prendergast, before the ball eventually ended up on the try line in the hands of substitute Max Deegan. It was a tight TMO call, but amazingly Nash was able to release the ball to his teammate just in time.
Nash looks to be a hard-working bright talent for the future, and was often left stranded by his midfield in defence as he found himself outnumbered on several ocassions.
Marty Moore
One of the more senior players in this Irish lineup, Ulster’s Marty Moore was Ireland’s second try-scorer of the night as he powered over from close distance to reduce the deficit.
The Ulster prop was introduced to the game in the 51st minute, making an instant impact with his physicality. Moore brought an intensity to his carries and his tackles as he sought to bring the game to the All Blacks with the scoreline rising.
Whilst he is a lot older than the rest of this Irish squad, his impact cannot be underestimated. From a physicality perspective, Moore brought about a change in the game. His try exemplifies this.
Whilst he may not have a long future in Irish rugby, he is in fine form currently, most recently receiving the man of the match award against Munster last week.
The prop's power and size is something that was missing until his arrival.
IRELAND HIT BACK! 🟢
A nice moment for Marty Moore who gets over in his return in an Irish jersey.#IREvNZ | #VMTVRugby pic.twitter.com/DnFNxsDuRa— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 4, 2022
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