Yellows don’t hurt NZ M¯aori

A period of playing with 13 men hasn’t been enough to stop New Zealand Ma¯ori ambushing the USA Eagles on Soldier Field.

A physical Ma¯ori side thumped an understrength USA team 59-22 in Chicago yesterday.

But the win was tainted by three yellow cards that would have hurt the Ma¯ ori against a better calibre of opposition.

Replacement hooker Robbie Abel spent 10 minutes in the naughty chair in the second half after Ma¯ ori captain Ash Dixon and Pari Pari Parkinson were both sent to the bin late in the first half forcing the Ma¯ ori side to play with 13 men.

With Dixon already off with a knee injury, halfback Brad Weber was forced to throw the ball into the lineout when Abel was off the field for repeated infringing. Dixon went to the sinbin nine minutes before halftime for collapsing a maul.

Five minutes later Ma¯ori were reduced to 13 when Parkinson joined him for a hip-throw type tackle on USA halfback Shaun Davies.

Parkinson was seemingly only saved from a red card because Davies landed on his back. Davies left the field for an HIA assessment and did not return.

At that stage, Ma¯ ori were in front 26-3 – thanks to first-half tries from Regan Ware, Mitch Karpik, Ash Dixon and Ben May – but the weight of numbers eventually told when USA winger Ryan Matyas crossed untouched to score the home side’s first try right on halftime to close the gap to 26-8 at the break.

Remarkably, the possession (65-35) and territory (60-40) stakes were both in favour of the USA at the break.