New Zealand are headed to the quarter-finals whilst Ireland are headed home barring a shock result in Jamaica’s clash with Lebanon.
The Kiwis were class last night as Jahrome Hughes ran the show with two tries and plenty of assists.
Louis Senior deserves credit for a lovely brace of tries but it was a comprehensive defeat for the Kiwis.
However, in the mind of Ireland coach Ged Corcoran it could have been a different game as he described the decision to not send off Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as “a game changer” with the Ireland boss “flithy” over what he called a “dog shot.”
New Zealand boss Michael Maguire wasn’t off the same opinion but he excepted the take of Corcoran.
He also noted that now the disciplinary process will take effect but isn’t worried believing that the initial contact was made with the shoulder rather than the head.
After the game, the former Wigan Warriors boss said: “It’s just an opinion [Ged Corcoran’s take on the tackle], you go through a process. You see his first contact was actually with the shoulder and rolled up.
“As he was being tackled, he was sort of falling and Jared hit him on the shoulder and rolled up.”
Corcoran believed that the tackle could see the Kiwi forward’s tournament end, that will be up to the disciplinary panel to decide.