Māori All Blacks player ratings: Shaun Stevenson to star but Māori struggle with loss to Ireland

Joseph Pearson is a Stuff . sports reporter

OPINION: Ireland tied the series against the Māori All Blacks on Tuesday with a 30-24 win in Wellington.

The Maori included a memorable 32-17 win in Hamilton two weeks agobut the Irish tied the two-game streak with an impressive performance in the capital.

These are Sky Stadium’s Māori player ratings.

Josh Moorby: Started bright on his Māori debut and was effectively carried at a fast pace from fullback. He was always a threat, but had few opportunities to test the green wall. 6

Shaun Stevenson: Comfortable finish for the opening attempt of a right-to-left lineout attack from the textbook and cut again by Irish defenders, as he did in the Hamilton win two weeks ago† The Chiefs winger was brilliant in the series despite a disruptive season due to injuries, but he didn’t finish the game as he was penalized for a failed interception attempt. 8

Bailyn Sullivan: Struggled to find space against Ireland’s tighter defenses down the middle and made simple mistakes when the Māori were on the attack. A night to soon forget. 3

Alex Nankivell: A terrible pass led to Ireland’s first attempt for Jordan Larmour, who killed the Māori defense on a quick tap. His distribution was unusually poor and the midfield combination with Sullivan never got off the ground. 4

Connor Garden Bachop: Calm play but before a few menacing kicks and chases that made Ireland scramble. He was the player who was tackled early on by Larmour when the Māori were awarded their penalty after the break. Kicked the ball out to destroy a promising attack in the second half. 5

Josh Ioane: His smart, short kick-off fueled the Māori’s early momentum. He looked dangerous when he ran straight away, but didn’t make much of an impression after a good start. He shot dead an aimless kick hit by the wild wind on a typical winter night in Wellington and struggled desperately with his kick game. 5

TJ registrant: On familiar ground, the Hurricanes halfback gave it their all, but the Māori lacked rhythm and struggled with quick moves around the ruck against a relentless Irish defense. He was given no room to provoke their attack and was at one point deprived of property, albeit illegally, highlighting Ireland’s control. Removed after 50 minutes. 5

Cullen Grace: An excellent lineout steal was almost the catalyst for their second attempt in the first half as Ireland’s dominance grew. He is an excellent runner who gets through mountains of work and has the misfortune of not being in the All Blacks after his recent form. Excellent offload for Ruben Love’s fabulous runaway attempt. 7

Billy Harmon: Great conduct in some of the Māori’s early attacks and was a warrior in the breakdown against a powerful platoon, although Ireland was superior in contact and tactically. 6

Reed Prinsep: Replaced after about 20 minutes with an obvious injury. N/R

Isaia Walker-Leawere: The big man showed good pace for a memorable break in the first half and was busy and powerful on every carry. Ireland’s attackers, however, laid a better platform. 6

Maanaki Selby Rickit: Punished when the Māori were about to add something to Stevenson’s early effort and had a rough night against the flying, physical green jerseys. Strong in the lineout under serious heat from Irish show jumpers but was not at his dynamic best. 5

Tyrel Lomax: Anchored the Māori scrum against Ireland’s strong front row and wouldn’t look out of place if he was back in the test arena after his omission by All Blacks. 6

Kurt Eklund: His neck roll gave Ireland another shot at goal after half-time, which they reversed, and the lineout faltered when his pitch went astray at a crucial moment in the second half. 5

Ollie Norris: Showed a yellow card in the first half as the Māori were under pressure on their line, wiping out a guaranteed feat of skill and determination. 6

Reserves

Leni Apisai: Played the last quarter as the match slipped and had no huge effect. 5

Williams Child: Came on shortly before half time while Norris was in jail and had more impact in the second half. He didn’t shy away from creeping into Irish faces. 6

Marcel Renata: Another belated introduction as Ireland were on their way to victory. N/R

TK Howden: Late substitution in the last minutes when the game was almost over. N/R

Caleb Delany: Came up for Prinsep and played for about an hour on debut. His eyes lit up for an instinctive attack on Ireland’s 22 on his first touch, then put on another stellar sprint down the left wing leading to the Māori’s penalty try. 6

Brad Weber: Replaced Perenara in the last 30 minutes and a trademark burst opened up Ireland’s defences, but the chances were endless. He was caught trying to balance the match which led to Ireland’s match-clinching score for number 8 Gavin Coomes, but he finished with a try of Love’s run for the last act of the night. 6

Reuben Love: Got into the game around the hour and made a wonderful break that Grace cleared before receiving the return pass for an excellent breakout attempt. His next attack cut Ireland’s defenses apart for Weber’s consolation score on the horn. 7

Billy Proctor: It seemed odd that he wasn’t hired sooner because of Sullivan and Nankivell’s difficult nights. Late substitution when the match was lost. N/R