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Player Ratings as Ireland struggle to get going against Russia

Another uninspiring performance from Ireland in a game that very few will look on with lots of po...



Another uninspiring performance from Ireland in a game that very few will look on with lots of positivity.

It was job done in a sense as they secured the bonus-point win but it was also a long way off banishing the memories of the defeat to Japan in Shizuoka.

A better performance against Samoa is needed next week to really get the team's confidence back up for when they likely face either New Zealand or South Africa in the quarter-final.

15. Rob Kearney: 6
Bit of a mixed bag of a performance from the Leinster man. Took his try well in the opening couple of minutes but struggled to deal with a number of Russian kicks. Didn't look happy when he was taken off in the 50th minute for Larmour.

14. Andrew Conway: 7
His try was probably the highlight of the game and he beat plenty of defenders against a side that missed over 40 tackles in each of their first two games. Couldn't quite find enough space to really open the Russians up.

13. Garry Ringrose: 6
Scored a try late in the game but overall it was a quiet performance from the Leinster centre. Looked tired in what was his third game on the trot in the World Cup.

12. Bundee Aki: 5
Yet another man who has fallen victim to the slippery ball in the heat and humidity of Japan. Dropped the ball more than once and didn't make any real impact in the game.

11. Keith Earls: 6
Didn't get too much of the ball in a game that was supposed to be a free-for-all for Ireland's try-scorers. Looked sharp when in possession but he'll be disappointed not to have added to his World Cup tally.

10. Johnny Sexton: 7
Controlled the game well and mixed it up nicely in attack using grubber kicks, cross-field kicks and inside passes to put Russia under all sorts of pressure. Came off at half-time and was replaced by Jack Carty.

9. Luke McGrath: 7
One of Ireland's better players in an uninspiring performance from the men in green. Looked sharp early on but wilted a bit in the heat as the game wore on.

8. Jordi Murphy: 5
He was looking sharp and energetic while he was on the pitch, which is impressive seeing as he's barely off the plane. Unfortunately, he had to come off after 26 minutes in a fresh injury concern for Joe Schmidt.

7. Peter O’Mahony: 6
Scored his first try in six years for his country but it was another mediocre game from a player who is supposed to be crucial for Ireland. Decent in defence but is still not playing at the level required.

6. Rhys Ruddock: 7
Man of the match, albeit on a day when nobody really stood out. Still, he carried well and showed plenty of strength to crash over for his try in the 34th minute of the game.

5. Jean Kleyn: 4
Didn't make any noticeable impact against one of the weakest sides in the tournament. With Ireland's lineout far from perfect the decision to leave Devin Toner at home is increasingly suspect.

4. Tadhg Beirne: 6
Carried and tackled well enough but certainly not one of the former Scarlets man's better days. Usually brilliant in the breakdown but didn't make much of a difference on a day that won't last long in the memory.

3. John Ryan: 5
A pretty quiet day out for the Munster prop. Didn't see much of the ball and the scrum struggled against an admittedly decent Russian scrum. Not exactly pushing Tadhg furlong for a place in the starting team.

2. Niall Scannell: 5
Unconvincing from Ireland's No.2 hooker. Struggled to get to grips with humidity and knocked the ball on a number of times. The lineout wasn't bad but wasn't perfect either.

1. Dave Kilcoyne: 6
Carried well when he had the ball but didn't get many opportunities in a scrappy performance from Ireland. The scrum struggled and conceded a penalty and he looked out on his feet by the time he was subbed off.

Replacements: 4
Ireland didn't need much of an impact off the bench today but they were again mediocre collectively against a weak side. Jack Carty put Russia under pressure with a few clever kicks but ultimately the bench again failed to deliver.

 

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Ireland Player Ratings Rugby Russia