Andy Farrell's men made another outrageously good start in the first half of Ireland v All Blacks in Dunedin this morning.
Andrew Porter barrelled over for a try after three minutes after a brilliant Ireland team try that featured a mammoth Tadhg Beirne linebreak and some incredible work from Mack Hansen.
However the big debate of the first half centred around the decision by Jaco Peyper not to send off All Blacks winger Leicester Fainga'anuku for a reckless challenge on Hansen.
As the Connacht player was kicking up the touchline, two All Blacks including Fainga'anuku converged on Hansen. Fainga'anuku makes no clear attempt to tackle Hansen and instead torpedoes onto him. Hansen required a few minutes of medical attention after the 'tackle'. It was clearly reckless, and there was clear contact with the head.
However when ref Jaco Peyper and TMO Tom Foley viewed the incident, they decided it was only a yellow card offense because there was contact with Hansen's chest before the contact with the head.
Ireland v All Blacks: Red for Faingaanuku?
🗣️ "He's lucky to get away with that"
Should Faingaanuku have seen red for this? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/x48udVPqQC— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 9, 2022
Ireland were right to feel aggrieved when a second incident went against them. Johnny Sexton was working the ball up the far channel and was about to offload to Gary Ringrose when prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi tackled him.
Ringrose had a clear path to the try line, but Peyper adjudicated it was a yellow card but not a penalty try.
9 July 2022; Jonathan Sexton of Ireland attempts a pass to teammate Garry Ringrose, left, who is tackled by Ofa Tu'ungafasi of New Zealand, for which Ofa Tu'ungafasi was shown a yellow card, during the Steinlager Series match between New Zealand and Ireland at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Minutes later, the attention was back on Peyper when a head-on-head tackle from Angus Ta'avao onto Ringrose left the Ireland centre in need of an HIA. All Blacks Captain Sam Kane seemed absolutely baffled by the red card. Peyper issued the famous words: 'Unfortunately I have to give him a red card'.
New Zealand are given a RED CARD 🔴
Things are heating up in Dunedin 🔥#NZvsIRE pic.twitter.com/tJZFHBSedV— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 9, 2022
It was a clear red. However Ireland should have been up 17-0 and New Zealand should have been down to 13 men.
It was one of the strangest halves of rugby we've ever witnessed.
