All Blacks player ratings: Young forwards step up as ‘dynamic’ back-rower set to become ‘invaluable’ to Scott Robertson

Following a 26-13 victory over Ireland in the international clash at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the All Blacks.

15 Will Jordan: Some fine aerial work early on, while Jordan also produced some slick lines to test the Ireland defence before he continued to be a threat in the second period, despite the odd surprising error. 7

14 Leroy Carter: Continues to look the part and is a threat when he gets the ball, but there was the odd decision-making issue. 6

13 Quinn Tupaea: Had to move to inside centre following Jordie Barrett’s injury, but grew into the role as the game wore on and led the charge against Ireland in the second period. 7

12 Jordie Barrett: His leg seemed to get caught in the ground, which led to him eventually being taken off. Was solid early on, but didn’t have a chance to exert his influence on the game. 5

11 Caleb Clarke: Making just his second Test appearance of the season, Clarke impressed with what he did. The looseness of the All Blacks did not help him, but everything the wing did was pretty much spot on, from his work under the high ball to his dynamism in the carry. 7

Half-back control

10 Beauden Barrett: Was certainly in the wars throughout the clash, but he kept his composure to steer the ship. Barrett particularly navigated the final half-hour nicely as New Zealand wrestled control of the match. 7

9 Cam Roigard: Jamison Gibson-Park had the better of the contest in the opening half, but the scrum-half gradually came into his own and by the end was running the show, culminating in a fine individual try. 7

8 Peter Lakai: A player who will surely become invaluable to the All Blacks, given that he never stops working. Lakai isn’t a huge man but he is athletic and dynamic, allowing him to affect both sides of the ball. 8

7 Ardie Savea: Did some typical Savea things, including one fantastic turnover, but it was almost refreshing to see him not carry the team. This time, other players stepped up. 7

6 Simon Parker: Still finding his feet at Test level. There were some good things, but he struggled to find a way to really impact the contest and was replaced on the hour mark. 5

Set-piece excellence and bench impact

5 Fabian Holland: Does his job so, so well. Won’t make massive carries but generally gets over the gain line, gets through a mountain of work and is a massive presence in the lineout. 8

4 Scott Barrett (c): Another player to go off early, with the captain lasting just two minutes. N/A.

3 Fletcher Newell: The tighthead enjoyed his day at the scrum against Andrew Porter. It wasn’t a huge factor but any shoving contest usually ended in Newell going forward. 7

2 Codie Taylor: A mixed bag from the hooker, whose darts weren’t entirely accurate at times, while there were a couple of cynical penalties. 5

1 Ethan de Groot: Like Newell, he did his job effectively and ended up playing a role in tiring out that Ireland front-row before handing over to the explosive Tamaiti Williams. 7

Replacements: Scott Robertson got exactly what he wanted from his bench. Leicester Fainga’anuku was on from the 15th minute and was absolutely mammoth, but he was joined by Williams and Wallace Sititi – who did have a brief spell on the field in the first half – in the second period. They were three players who made a massive difference. Samisoni Taukei’aho and Damian McKenzie also had good moments when they entered the pitch. 8

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