Ringrose unfazed by All Blacks test

Garry Ringrose says he wasn't fazed at being asked to play the No 12 position against New Zealand on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, who usually plays as outside centre, replaced his Leinster team-mate Robbie Henshaw early in Saturday's 21-9 defeat by the world champions and impressed in the unfamiliar inside centre role, making 18 carries during his 69 minutes of action at the Aviva Stadium.

“I suppose as 23rd man, I would have been prepped and known that I would have been covering [that position]," he told the Times.

"I played Leinster under-20s at No 12 and repped a couple of times in training so it wasn’t too foreign.. [Ireland head coach] Joe [Schmidt] rarely has any stone left unturned and has everyone prepared so it wasn’t as much of a shock to the system as you might have thought it was."

Prop Tadgh Furlong, who impressed in winning his tenth cap, says the performances against Steve Hansen's side shows how far Ireland have come in recent seasons.

"I definitely wouldn’t be afraid of them," Furlong said of the All Blacks.

"They were two tough, physical games. I thought we put it up to them at times [on Saturday] and it was disappointing not to get over the line in the end.

"They went on an 18-game unbeaten run beating some of the best teams in the world week in, week out. That’s the standard we aspire to and are looking to get to. I suppose [Saturday] shows we could mix it with the best of them."

Leinster star Furlong, who turned 24 last week, says the squad's age profile will hold Ireland in good stead over the next couple of seasons.

"I think there is a young core coming through there," he said.

"I thought Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier and Paddy Jackson played very well when they came on, Hendy came on and he's still only 24 as well. So I think the younger lads are gaining experience and belief."

In other news, New Zealand pair Malakai Fekitoa and Sam Cane will face disciplinary hearings on Tuesday after being cited for tackles during the match at the Aviva Stadium.

Cane has been cited for the high tackle which brought a premature end to Henshaw's afternoon, while Fekitoa, who scored two tries against the Irish, has been reported for a high tackle on Simon Zebo.

Photo (©INPHO/JamesCrombie)

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