Ringrose calls for improvements ahead of second test

Garry Ringrose believes Ireland need to cut out simple mistakes before their second test against New Zealand on Saturday.

Speaking to media after Ireland’s 42-19 defeat to the All Blacks in the first test, Ringrose said “there were simple errors that gifted them easy points, which against a team of their quality you can’t afford to do.”

They started off well through a Keith Earls try but at half-time the All Blacks led 28-5 at Eden Park. Ringrose mentioned how the game was tough in terms of belief and that the second-half was always going to be an uphill battle.

The 27-year old pointed to costly mistakes which need to be address before the rematch. “Hopefully we can cut that out of our game and give us a better chance this weekend,” said Ringrose.

“There’s plenty of learnings and room to improve. The motivation will be the game on Saturday but in the immediate it’s to build on those things in training, he added.

The Leinster player continued, saying that the All-Blacks will also be looking to improve despite the comfortable victory. “I’m sure they’ll dissect us and find weaknesses they didn’t expose in the game. Equally we need to try find things that we didn’t.”

Ringrose aided the Irish scoring in the second-half along side Bundee Aki, but it wasn’t enough and the game finished in heavy defeat for Andy Farrell’s men.

Ringrose described the morning after as “bleak” following the loss, but also noted that Ireland were unlucky at stages.

“There were little knock-ons that were unlucky and on another day we convert them. That might give us an opportunity to change the momentum of the next game.”

“We’re trying to something special here in New Zealand. We didn’t do it on Saturday but we’ve a chance to try and do it this weekend, so it will be everyone on board to try and do just that.”

The second test of the three-test series takes place on Saturday in Dunedin, which is Sunday morning in Ireland. Johnny Sexton has been passed as fit to play despite being taken off with a potential concussion in the first test.