Ireland player ratings v Samoa: A night to forget for Jimmy O’Brien but Conor Murray shines

15 Jimmy O’Brien: Another to pick up an injury (shoulder) and replaced after 53 minutes on a tough night for a fullback given the weather conditions. A couple of issues under the high ball and in contact and was grateful for Conor Murray and Stuart McCloskey’s help after Ed Fidow bounced him in a tackle. Rating: 5.

14 Mack Hansen: Put aside an early blocked kick to produce a typically industrious and for the most part high-quality display. Unselfish pass for O’Brien try, sharp in attack with excellent footwork and some good relieving kicks. Rating: 7.

13 Robbie Henshaw: Picked up an ankle injury with some friendly fire when McCloskey caught him, ran hard early on to get over the gain-line but found the direct, hard-running Samoans a handful in defence and missed a few tackles. Rating: 6.

12 Stuart McCloskey: One of the few Irish players to physically match the Samoans on both sides of the ball. Good cover tackle on Ed Fidow, got his team on the front foot, one great kick and while he’d like to have his time over again for the Samoan try given an unsympathetic pass, he was one of Ireland’s better performers. Rating: 7.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

---

The Counter Ruck: Does rugby need the 20-minute red card?

---

Johnny Watterson: Is this Ireland team in danger of flattering to deceive?

---

Rónan Kelleher: ‘The lineout clicked last weekend, but there was no major revamp’

---

11 Jacob Stockdale: It was a game of two halves for the wing, in the first he finished on the debit side with a knock-on from a high ball and being stripped in tackle but the second he ran well, beating multiple defenders, caught a brilliant high ball and set up Conor Murray’s try with a beautifully weighted chip. Rating: 7.

[ Ireland survive Samoa scare as Cian Healy injury makes him doubt for World Cup ]

10 Jack Crowley: His early work in this match was top class, the variety in linking play and kicking, the high point of which was the pinpoint diagonal punt to Mack Hansen in the build-up to Ireland’s first try. Few errors as he tried perhaps to push a little too much, but the talent is obvious and will blossom with opportunity. Rating: 7.

9 Conor Murray: An excellent performance that started with a superb cover tackle on Ed Fidow, included an excellent kicking game, faultless passing and distribution making light of the greasy ball that caused problems for so many and great strength to grab his try. Rating: 8.

1 Cian Healy: His night ended after 21 minutes with what looked like a calf injury following a scrum in which he was penalised for going down on a knee and then trapped as the Samoa pack drove over him. The pain and frustration on his face as he was helped off was worryingly real. Rating: 5.

2 Tom Stewart: Conditions made it very difficult for the young hooker who wasn’t helped by a couple of fumbles and one unit failure in the five throws that went astray. Some good carries mixed in with a couple of handling errors and a penalty conceded. Rating: 5.

3 Finlay Bealham: He was used as a pivot in attack and in defence and put in a serious shift with nine tackles. The demolition of the Ireland scrum just before halftime and one or two other moments of collective discomfort will be a concern. Rating: 6.

4 Iain Henderson (capt): The Ireland captain saw a couple of throws slip through his hands in the lineout, yet again a problem area for Ireland, and while he was diligent in his work in terms of carrying and tackling, he like many of his team-mates found it difficult to be a consistent presence. Rating: 6.

5 Tadhg Beirne: On the periphery of the match in the first half he gradually warmed to the task and had a more pronounced impact in the second half, an option at the lineout and nicking a couple of turnovers at the breakdown. Rating: 7.

6 Ryan Baird: His athleticism was there for all to see, in the loose, putting pressure on the Samoan scrumhalf, nicking a couple of lineouts and being a safe option on the Irish throw. A great turnover at ruck in Samoa 22. Rating: 8.

7 Josh van der Flier: A hive of industry, even more so in the second half when he managed to rack up a team leading tackle count, slow down Samoan ball at crucial times and carry ball on two or three occasions past the robust blue line. Rating: 7.

8 Caelan Doris: Ireland’s player of the match for me. There were a couple of blemishes, but the main body of work was first-class in all aspects of the game. He has all the physical attributes to go with a sharp rugby brain. Barnstorming run in the build-up to the O’Brien try. Rating: 8.

Replacements: They added dynamism, energy and focused experience from try scorer Rob Herring, who helped to steady the lineout, James Ryan with a crucial late lineout steal, Peter O’Mahony with a couple of good carries, so too Garry Ringrose, while Ross Byrne proved intelligent direction, and Tom O’Toole’s arrival saw an upturn in Ireland’s scrum fortunes. Jeremy Loughman manfully overcame a tough start. Rating: 8.

Coach: Andy Farrell can’t have been pleased with the first 40-minutes even allowing mitigation for the difficult weather conditions, and while the coaching staff were able to retune a previously disjointed and ragged performance at the interval, there were still far too many mistakes. He’ll take the win but not the display. Rating: 7.