All Blacks captain Kieran Read leading the charge against the Irish. Photo / Mark Mitchell
All Blacks captain Kieran Read leading the charge against the Irish. Photo / Mark Mitchell
COMMENT:
Beauden Barrett had a terrific Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Ireland, but man of the match?
Don't think so…and I'm among Beaudie's greatest fans.
Why does rugby even bother with man-of-the-match awards. They almost always go to first five eighths or fullbacks or anyone who scored a couple oftries.
The people adjudicating them can't distinguish between the forwards so they find a safe haven with a famous back.
The men in green were left red faced as the black pack gathered up all the hurt from Dublin last year and stuffed it down their throats.
Read was magnificent, leading from the front and providing a killer pass off the ground for Codie Taylor's try early in the second half.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read leading the charge against the Irish. Photo / Mark Mitchell
According to one set of statistics, Read made a whopping 19 hit ups in the match, all delivered with energetic precision. He had one of the highest tackle counts.
The amazing tradition of All Black captains rarely falters. They almost always find someone special. Kieran Read is special.
Read battled to find this sort of form over the past couple of years, and the All Blacks claimed they always knew it would take 18 months for the great No 8 to be restored following back surgery.
It sounded like a bit of a line at the time, but they were right. Those of us on the couch cannot hope to know what it is like to find a way back from such a serious injury, in such a seriously physical sport.
Read isn't the player he was, but rugby isn't the game it was. He's adapted to life in the trenches, and there is none better. In a different way, he's as terrific as ever.
Moody was a revelation. He has the qualities to become the finest New Zealand loosehead ever. It has not always gone smoothly in recent times, but he made endless runs and tackles against Ireland and produced a fine pass as the icing on the cake.
The All Blacks went searching for a greater contribution around the field from their props, elevating players with more athleticism. The loss in Dublin last year – which Moody missed – would have finally convinced Steve Hansen that the front row failings could be tolerated no more.
Joe Moody...the All Blacks' best alongside Kieran Read. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Moody was left as the senior World Cup prop, with Owen Franks discarded, and he overshadowed the Irish veterans and his younger comrades in one of his finest tests.
Don't be fooled by the demolition job over fading Ireland though.
The English pack has more athleticism than Ireland. Their flying flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry were superb in Oita.
Eddie Jones' troops will be on a high, but not too high. Australia under Michael Cheika are just weird, or make that downright incompetent at times.
The English captain Owen Farrell quickly gestured to his players after they had crushed the Wallabies, dampening down celebrations.
England won't be thanking the British PM Boris Johnson who congratulated them during a House of Commons Brexit debate.
The All Blacks are never prematurely satisfied. This is part of their magic formula. But there are still some holes in the All Blacks scheme.
The zap turns haphazard when TJ Perenara replaces Aaron Smith at halfback. Tighthead prop Nepo Laulala produced next to nothing around the field.
The All Blacks have the winning of the game in the backs, where England can't match Sevu Reece, Smith, Barrett and co. England would be lucky to provide one back in a combined XV.
It is shaping as an epic forwards battle where Kieran Read's influence will be pivotal, alongside born again Joe Moody.
