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The match-up that may define New Zealand vs Ireland decider
By PA
New Zealand and Ireland meet on Saturday for a mouth-watering series decider at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
The formidable All Blacks cruised to victory in the opening Test in Auckland a fortnight ago before falling to a first home defeat to the Irish last weekend in Dunedin.
Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at an intriguing second-row battle which could have a major bearing on the outcome of the series.
Sam Whitelock – Crusaders
Position: Lock
Age: 33
Caps: 133
Debut: versus Ireland, 2010
Height: 6' 7”
Weight: 117kg
Points: 30 (six tries)
Only the great Richie McCaw now has more All Blacks caps than the influential Whitelock. The 33-year-old, who was forced to sit out his side’s dismal display in Dunedin due to a delayed concussion, sets the standards for the hosts and possesses remarkable rugby intelligence.
His return provides a much-needed boost and timely injection of experience for the Kiwis as he starts alongside long-term partner Brodie Retallick for the 61st time at this level. Half of Whitelock’s international tries came across two meetings with Ireland during his debut year in 2010. Undoubtedly a game-changer, he was recently hailed as a “modern-day Paul O’Connell” by Ronan O’Gara and will be intent on inflicting more misery on the Irish.
Tadhg Beirne – Munster
Position: Lock
Age: 30
Caps: 32
Debut: versus Australia, 2018
Height: 6' 6”
Weight: 112kg
Points: 30 (six tries)
Beirne has progressed from the periphery of the international setup to become one of Ireland’s top performers of the Andy Farrell era.
The standout form which earned the 30-year-old a spot on last year’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa extended through the autumn and this year’s Six Nations, culminating in his star showing during last week’s landmark second Test victory.
Accomplished in any position across the back five of the scrum, Beirne is an imposing figure capable of grabbing games by the scruff of the neck. He is a tackling machine – as evidenced last weekend – a menace at the breakdown, and possesses enviable athleticism, in addition to relentless work-rate.
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Latest Comments
McKenzie is better than Barrett , but not better than Richie Mo'unga. Richie regularly outplayed DMac in Super Rugby. , as he did in the 2023 Final in Hamilton. I remember the 2021 Aotearoa Super Rugby Final here in CHCH. Mo'unga took him to the cleaners. McKenzie is a fine footballer , but at best a hybrid 10 . Fergus Burke , ( now playing in England ), who made a big difference when he came back late in the Crusaders season , is a better 10 than DMac. I also think 140 game + Crusader Matt Todd was always a better no 7 than Sam Cane.A big part of 3 title winning teams when South African teams were still in the comp. How many titles did the Chiefs win in that period of time?
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