Ireland enjoy perfect tune-up for All Blacks

After making history in Chicago last weekend with their first victory over New Zealand in 111 years, it was difficult to escape the impression that Ireland’s focus – even during this eight-try demolition of a game but ultimately limited Canada team – was almost exclusively on next weekend’s mouth-watering rematch with the All Blacks.

That much was apparent from the team sheet for last night’s game, which featured a full house of 15 changes from the side who beat the All Blacks. While a crowd of 50,000 still turned up at the Aviva Stadium to cheer on the ‘B’ team, there was a feeling that this was merely the filling in a far meatier sandwich. Not that there were not a few hoping to impress Joe Schmidt sufficiently that they might force their way into contention for next weekend. Some of them might even have done that.

Keith Earls looked lively throughout, captain-on-the-night Peter O’Mahony played the full 80 minutes and got stronger as the game wore on, as did his fellow flanker Sean O’Brien – who like O’Mahony is returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. O’Brien made 13 carries in a barnstorming display and must now be in Schmidt’s thoughts.

Schmidt admitted he would be having sleepless nights trying to get the balance just right for a fixture that has already gripped the nation. “Back row, the back three, even the front three,” he said when asked which areas in particular he was looking at.

Ireland began brightly, scoring through Earls and Luke Marshall in the opening 20 minutes. But an interception try from Canada wing DTH van der Merwe got the visitors back into the game and they levelled the scores a couple of minutes later with a try from their other winger Taylor Paris who managed to get in on a driving maul.

Full-back Tiernan O’Halloran scored his first try for Ireland just before the break, steaming in on a lovely angle. And Ireland turned on the afterburners in the second half, their breakdown work and handling far sharper.

A penalty try from a retaken scrum was followed by further scores from Ultan Dillane, Keiran Marmion, O’Halloran and James Tracey, with Matt Evans replying for Canada. A wounded New Zealand will pose a far greater threat next Saturday.

“I think they will come full strength next week,” admitted Schmidt. “Fully loaded.”