WATCH: The Tackle That Set The Stage For Ireland Against The All Blacks
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Big man.
A huge talking point heading into Saturday’s Test between Ireland and the All Blacks was what was going to happen at lineout time and the big battle between the two second-row partnerships.
New Zealand’s Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock are regarded as the best lock pairing in international rugby, setting an All Blacks record on Saturday by partnering up for the 50th time in New Zealand colours.
But Ireland’s James Ryan is quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects in world rugby, and big 6ft 10inch Devin Toner was brought in to combat New Zealand’s lineout.
Toner however, is also hugely underrated around the pitch, and was one of Ireland’s star men on the day in the loose. This hit on Retallick inside the opening 13 minutes, assisted by partner in crime James Ryan, set the stage for the men in green on Saturday. It was without doubt one of the most important moments of the game.
This tackle showed Ireland weren’t going to be bullied. They were fired up and ready to go. In the end it was an uncharacteristic mistake from Retallick in the final moments that sealed New Zealand’s fate. Big Dev had made his mark early.
Moment of the match. Devon Toner's monster hit on Brodie Retallick. Completely set the tone (no pun intended) for the rest of the match. Ireland's defence was utterly breathtaking #IREvNZL pic.twitter.com/9OXBsdSeer
— Gully Burrows (@gullyburrows93) November 17, 2018