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Sam Cane scores against Ireland - Source: Photosport -
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Fulltime
Great answer from the All Blacks after last week's close shave - a record winning margin over the brave Irish.
Plenty to enthuse over and some new guys putting their hands up for future honours.
You'd have to say the All Blacks are looking pretty good for the four-nations championship on the horizon, but what affect will a few more rounds of Super Rugby have on this roster.
All in all, an exhilirating exhibition and one that should silence all the critics.
Second half
81st minute: As the final siren goes, Ireland are still trying to break their duck. McFadden takes off down field, but is brought down from behind by Thomson and the All Blacks regroup for the turnover.
73rd minute: TRY! SBW cames a half-break, finds Romano with a backhand flick and from the ruck, Barrett cleverly delays his pass to present Thomson with a run to the line. Barrett converts. NZ 60-0
70th minute: Adam Thomson replaces Cane, who gets a nice ovation from his home crowd.
63rd minute: TRY! Dagg is on the ground and looks gone for all money, but when SBW puts a little grubber kick through the Irish defence, the fullback is there to gather and speed over for the team's eighth try. Barrett's conversion equals the biggest winning margin ever over Ireland. NZ 53-0
61st minute: Weepu replaces A.Smith at halfback for the ABs.
58th minute: TRY! From Retallick's lineout win, Cane makes a half-break on the 22 and finds Messam steaming into the gap inside him, a little payback for the try 10 minutes earlier. It's the All Blacks' 100th try against Ireland, but Barrett finds the upright from a handy position. Tamati Ellison enters the action for Conrad Smith and Eoin Reddan at halfback for Ireland. NZ 46-0
57th minute: Brodie Retallick replaces Sam Whitelock at lock for the All Blacks and immediately wins a lineout.
55th minute: Earls returns, but Ronan O'Gara is in for late replacement Paddy Wallace and blindside Kevin McLaughlin is also off with a shoulder injury. Donncha O'Callaghan comes on for lock Dan Tuohy - the All Blacks' physicality is taking its toll on the tourists.
47th minute: TRY! The Irish overthrow an attacking lineout, Cane gathers off the back and Conrad Smith cleverly reaches around his marker to put Gear away on a 40m run. He bumps off counterpart Keith Earl and rolls over the line in a tackle, planting for the try on his second attempt. The TMO is happy, but Barrett can't convert. Earls is dazed and helped to the sideline, replaced by Trimble. NZ 41-0
43rd minute: TRY! Cane has his second after Mealamu makes a little run and sets up a ruck on the 22. A.Smith puts Messam charging into a gap, he offloads and Cane fumbles, but recovers to dive over. NZ 36-0
Halftime
Blues hooker Kevin Mealamu returns from injury to replace Andrew Hore in the front row as the second half begins. Remember, Ireland are a man short.
Well, the All Blacks have certainly looked more committed this week and really tore their opposites apart in the first 25 minutes for a comfortable lead.
Cruden was brilliant, but won't be back tonight, so once again New Zealand's depth at first-five will be tested.
The Irish have had the better of possession (62%), but have missed 10 tackles to the All Blacks' one, and that stat is killing them.
First half
42nd minute: The All Blacks have possession as the halftime siren sounds, but continue to throw the ball one way and then the other, until they appear to have an overlap in the right corner. Ireland fullback Rob Kearney tries for the intercept, but is penalised and shown a yellow card for the deliberate knock-on. It's an extremely marginal decision, but he's sentenced to 10 minutes on the sideline when the second half begins. From close to touch, Barrett slots a well-taken penalty kick for his first All Black points. NZ 29-0
34th minute: Ireland string together 19 phases and when they're awarded a penalty, they opt for a scrum five metres out from the tryline. But the All Black scrum recovers from an earlier embarrassment to shunt their rivals off the ball, which squirts out the side and is cleared.
25th minute: The Irish put together their best move of the night as O'Driscoll finds Best inside and the hooker heads for the corner, but referee Poite calls it back for interference off the ball.
23rd minute: TRY! Cruden again in the action, swooping on a loose ball inside his own half and galloping (no sign of an injury here) . When he's collared, Cruden lobs to Conrad Smith, who quickly passes on to Ben Smith with a straight run to the corner. Dagg misses the conversion, as Cruden disappears under the stand and Beauden Barrett enters Test rugby. NZ 26-0
18th minute: TRY! Cruden and SBW are simply carving Ireland up. Close to the line, Cruden runs on an angle and finds his second-five angling inside with a short dash to the line. Cruden is hobbling, though, and Dagg converts. NZ 21-0
15th minute: SBW takes the ball into the tackle (for once), but Ireland are whistled for offside at the ruck. Cruden can't kick the penalty, about 35m out and left of the posts.
11th minute: TRY! Cruden works a set move from a very solid All Black scrum, but as he's tackled, Cruden flicks another backhanded pass to SBW himself and he's away to score. Cruden converts. NZ 14-0
Seventh minute: TRY! After some good build-up work, Conrad Smith carves towards the line and when the ball comes free, Cruden slips a Sonny Bill-type pass to Sam Cane for his firs Test try. Cruden adds the extras despite an early charge from the Irish. NZ 7-0
First minute: Ireland kick off and All Blacks fumble the ball. Irish can't make anything of their first possession. 0-0
All Blacks stick the "Kamate" haka.
We've got a perfect surface for the game and Ireland will play into the first-half breeze.
Even though the All Blacks have wrapped up this series with their last-minute victory in Christchurch last week, there's plenty to play for. Ireland have never beaten New Zealand in a Test and, of course, the All Blacks don't want to be part of that streak ending.
With second-Test saviour Dan Carter sidelined with a hamstring injury, much will depend on the inexperienced inside-back combination of Aaron Cruden and Aaron Smith, with captain Richie McCaw deposited at No. 8 to keep an eye on his rookies.
Will the All Blacks come to play? Can the Irish manage another committed display like last week's
New Zealand: 15-Israel Dagg; 14-Ben Smith,
13-Conrad Smith, 12-Sonny Bill Williams, 11-Hosea Gear; 10-Aaron
Cruden, 9-Aaron Smith; 8-Richie McCaw (captain), 7-Sam Cane, 6-Liam
Messam, 5-Sam Whitelock, 4-Luke Romano, 3-Owen Franks, 2-Andrew
Hore, 1-Tony Woodcock
Reserves: 16 - Keven Mealamu, 17 - Ben Franks, 18 - Brodie
Retallick, 19 - Adam Thomson, 20 - Piri Weepu, 21 - Beauden
Barrett, 22 - Tamati Ellison.
Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Fergus McFadden,
13-Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12-Paddy Wallace, 11-Keith Earls,
10-Jonathan Sexton, 9-Conor Murray; 8-Peter O'Mahony, 7-Sean
O'Brien, 6-Kevin McLaughlin, 5-Donnacha Ryan, 4-Dan Tuohy, 3-Mike
Ross, 2-Rory Best, 1-Cian Healy
Reserves: 16 - Sean Cronin, 17 - Declan Fitzpatrick, 18 - Donncha
O'Callaghan, 19 - Chris Henry, 20 - Eoin Reddan, 21 - Ronan O'Gara,
22 - Andrew Trimble
Referee: Romain Poite (France)