Player Ratings: New Zealand

OPINION: Green jerseys outnumbered black by a fair margin on an overcast afternoon in Chicago, and Ireland started the game like they had a home-field advantage over the All Blacks.

The Kiwis, however, stayed in the fight until their bench came on and injected plenty of life into the Test, claiming and running away with the lead. 61,841 fans witnessed an All Blacks blitz in the final quarter for a 26-13 win.

Ned Lester rates the All Blacks’ players:

1. Ethan de Groot – 5

De Groot managed two carries and five tackles in his 48 minutes on the park. His side of the scrum was the more stable, without convincing that the Kiwi was the stronger of the scrummagers on that side.

2. Codie Taylor – 8

In a Test where Ireland were competing well at lineout time, Taylor’s lineout throwing needed to be on point. It wasn’t. With nearly a dozen tackles to his name by the half, Taylor could be forgiven for letting Caelan Doris get away from him in centrefield, although it was the Irish talisman’s first carry in his return from injury, and those few, strong metres gained generated plenty of energy in the stadium and on the field. The hooker’s defence, though, saw him emerge as one of his side’s best on park.

3. Fletcher Newell – 7

With the lineout a scrappy battle, Newell’s inaccuracy in the ninth minute, when he slipped in front of the catcher, stalled what little momentum the All Blacks had mustered. More penalties at scrum time also came as New Zealand battled to really find their feet on attack. The prop contributed an impressive 14 tackles in his 62 minutes.

4. Scott Barrett – N/A

The captain was replaced in the second minute after picking up an injury.

5. Fabian Holland – 8

Ireland’s early momentum that led to their opening try came from a series of carries down the left edge, where Holland was guilty of a key missed tackle. Getting clean lineout ball was difficult for both sides, and while Holland was pipped at various moments by Irish jumpers, he returned the favour on a few occasions.

The youngster had some classy moments in open play, with gluey defence and rock-solid physicality earning him Man of the Match.

6. Simon Parker – 6

Tadhg Furlong’s opening try of the game came from cutting inside Parker, running a line that helped beat the flanker in the collision. Outside of that, with just a handful of tackles and two carries to his name, Parker fell short of the ‘enforcer’ title he’s selected to live up to.

7. Ardie Savea – 8

While there wasn’t much in the way of trademark dominant Savea carries, there were some trademark steals and the stoic defence demanded of his jersey number.

8. Peter Lakai – 6

A robust showing from the young No.8, who held his ground in the physical exchanges and emerged from the 80 minutes without a missed tackle to his name.

There were fewer than a handful of players who threatened with the ball in hand for the All Blacks throughout the opening hour before the game opened up, and Lakai was one who couldn’t get his side going with his few opportunities.

9. Cam Roigard – 8

Roigard played a more conservative halfback game early, but his side’s attack looked entirely different when he started to engage the defence as the game wore on.

The halfback provided some great clearances, including the opening effort of the game, and was rewarded for his efforts with a late try, which put the game beyond the reach of the Irish.

10. Beauden Barrett – 7

Barrett couldn’t find his rhythm early, with some average kicks and a penalty given away in the opening 20. The veteran found his feet and contributed nicely to some better attacking play, but couldn’t build his side’s momentum in a way that rewarded them on the scoreboard until the reserves came on late.

11. Caleb Clarke – 8.5

Clarke’s aerial work has become perhaps his greatest attribute, and he continued to compete well in Chicago, winning some big moments, whether by retrieving the ball or the player who beat him to it.

He was put in half-gaps down the left edge and chewed through metres with those opportunities, owning the most run metres throughout the game.

12. Jordie Barrett – N/A

Came out of a collision in the 12th minute in apparent distress and was replaced soon after.

13. Quinn Tupaea – 7

Tupaea was guilty of clear interference that handed Ireland their opening three points. He moved to inside centre when Barrett went down, and handled the collision area relatively well for the most part, but couldn’t offer the barnstormers that his opposite, Stuart McCloskey, was dishing out. There was some great breakdown work and strong carries as the game wore on. The former of those areas is where he really showed his class in the Test.

14. Leroy Carter – 6

Carter was one of the Kiwi players who looked a little unsettled in the opening exchanges, guilty of getting bundled over the touch line and missing a tackle in the opening quarter. Some mixed results under the high ball followed, along with some lively, albeit short, carries.

15. Will Jordan – 5

Jordan’s high-ball game has come under scrutiny in 2025, with new laws putting more pressure on the aerial contests. In Chicago, he was a safe pair of hands.

The game didn’t open up much to showcase Jordan’s game-breaking ability, and his playmaking was average, with some poor passes resulting in the ball hitting the ground.

Replacements:

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho – 6

The hooker contributed to New Zealand’s shaky lineout performance.

17. Tamaiti Williams – 9

The prop provided more grunt in the scrums and the muscle to score close to the line, handing his side their first lead of the game. A real difference maker.

18. Pasilio Tosi – 8

Tosi’s size, like Williams’s, made a real difference in his team’s late surge.

19. Josh Lord – 6

Lord looked tentative in the early exchanges after entering the contest in just the second minute. He grew into the game and made his presence felt in a few hits later on. Finished the game with a couple of lineout steals to his name, too.

20. Wallace Sititi – 8

Sititi offered impact off the bench, coming away from the Test as one of the most-employed ball-carriers after two separate stints on the field and was rewarded with a try.

21. Cortez Ratima – 7

The halfback played just three minutes in the Test, again showing his teammate Cam Roigard’s value to this side.

22. Leicester Fainga’anuku – 8

Entered the game early for his first All Blacks appearance in the midfield, and made his impact felt in a hurry by drawing three players with his physicality before providing the offload to Will Jordan, with the All Blacks scoring their first try on the next phase of play.

Continued to carry well, but dropped a ball cold at the start of the second half. Fainga’anuku was maybe the only All Black who threatened every time he got near the ball, and made the most of the attention he demanded with some great distribution.

23. Damian McKenzie – 8

The playmaker thrived in this fixture a year ago and looked to replicate those efforts this time around. McKenzie brought dynamism off the bench in a game sorely lacking it.

By Ned Lester, Rugbypass