Page 22 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
22

2019 Aki Sees Red As Ireland Secure Bonus

16th, Point Against Samoa

October

ejuvenated Ireland secured
thebonus-pointvictorythat
Sexton, who was controlling
| Rensuredqualificationforthe starts.
the game beautifully, converted
EXAMINER quarter-finals, despite playing the from the 22 meter line and then
turned try-scorer on 20 minutes
final 52 minutes with only 14 men
after center Bundee Aki became
when set free by an electric line
IRISH their first player to be sent off in a break by Jordan Larmour, the
RugbyWorldCupmatch.
Player of the Match.
Twenty-five minutes in,
While Ireland could yet face
South Africa in the last eight, Samoa hit back, with captain
their more likely opponents are Jack Lam forcing his way over
defending champions New following a lineout. It was a
Zealand. reminder of the Samoans’ phys-
“You’ve got to be at your icality and power and gave
very, very best to have a them a glimmer of hope.
chance. They’re not back-to- Three minutes later, Berry
back World Cup winners for no pulled the red card from his the bonus-point try, pictured ly following as Ireland’s the bench to pounce on
reason,” Ireland coach Joe pocket, pictured, and there above, and give his team a 26-5 thoughts began moving to replacement fly-half Joey
Schmidt said. “For us it would were gasps around a stadium lead at the interval. Tokyo next weekend. Carbery’s grubber kick and
be, to a degree, a mountain to full of Irish fans. After that, it was just a case Replacement second-row scored the seventh try and his
climb. But if it is the All Blacks The first hint of trouble of how many more tries Ireland Jean Kleyn almost provided the third of the tournament. It was
we’ll look to scale those came when Robbie Henshaw would add and Conor Murray’s sixth try but the TMO could see all too easy, but Ireland will not
heights.” fired a ball over Stockdale’s brilliant cut-out pass on 48 min- no grounding. No matter. complain. They are back to
Regardless of the opposition, head. In the ensuing scramble utes sent Larmour in for the Stander soon bulldozed his way something close to their best
Schmidt is likely to be without Aki – who is of Samoan descent fifth. Sexton converted and was over after intense Irish pres- form and now have a shot at
Aki, but on the bright side he – hit the ball-carrier UJ Seuteni promptly withdrawn, with his sure. making the semi-finals for the
will otherwise have a fully fit high and hard with a shoulder half-back partner Murray quick- Andrew Conway came off first time. C
squad to choose from. Four that sent him crashing to the
years ago, Ireland won a bruis- turf.
ing encounter with France in While the tackle was poorly
Cardiff in their final pool game. executed rather than malicious,
Hit by injury they lost badly to this time the official could find
Argentina. Now they move on no mitigating circumstances. It
with their momentum was only the third time an Irish
restored. player had been shown a red
After confidence-sapping card in the professional era and
performances against Japan and the first since June 2016, when
Russia, Ireland needed to put CJ Stander was sent off against
down a marker ahead of the his native South Africa.
knockouts and it took them After the game, Samoa
only three minutes to show coach Steve Jackson expressed
their intent. sympathy for Aki and hope that
Captain Rory Best found he will escape suspension, but
Iain Henderson with a lineout Schmidt seemed resigned to
throw close to the Samoa line losing his man for at least one
and then got himself on the end game.
of a rolling maul their oppo- “It’s a really tough situa-
nents could not cope with. tion,” Schmidt said. “It’s all
Johnny Sexton kicked the extras split-second stuff. We live in
from the touchline and his hope and we’ll see what the
team had the emphatic start judiciary decide. Once it’s a red
they needed. card, you sense a loss of control
The Samoan cause was not over what happens next.
helped when hooker Seilala “I certainly feel for Bundee.
Lam was shown a yellow card He’s obviously devastated that
after contact to the head of any further participation in the
Jacob Stockdale, with referee tournament is now at risk.
Nic Berry deciding not to issue There is a very hard line being
a red because the Irish winger taken and we’ll just have to
was bent low when the contact accept whatever decision is
was made. made.”
It took Ireland just three Any fears that Ireland might
minutes to exploit their numer- unravel after Aki’s departure
ical advantage. Rampaging were put to bed two minutes
prop forward Tadhg Furlong before the interval when
beat four defenders to score a Sexton again exposed hesitancy
third try from his past four in the Samoa defense to run in