All Blacks legend weighs into Ireland: 'They've turned into a pack of whingers'

All Blacks legend Justin Marshall says Ireland should take a long, hard look at themselves rather than look for excuses after they were beaten 40-21 by New Zealand in the third round of the Nations Championship last weekend.

Defensively Ireland were all over the shop in the first half as they trailed 28-7 at half-time before restoring some pride to ‘win’ the second half.

The match could possibly have had a different outcome had Luke Jacobson’s dangerous clearout at the ruck on 27 minutes been upgraded to a red, while Quinn Tupaea was perceived to be lucky not to get binned for a deliberate knock on.

New Zealand had surged into a commanding 14-0 lead when Jacobson’s foul play was put on review, and there was only one team in it. And Marshall believes any Irish angst should be directed at putting their own house in order – they were turned over over 18 times and missed 35 tackles – rather than blame the officiating.

“They’ve turned into a pack of whingers to be honest,” the 81-cap blasted during an appearance on The Good, The Bad, The Rugby, ANZ.

“They feel like their performance wasn’t up to standard but it is everyone else’s fault.

“They’ve been blaming a couple of decisions within the game, ‘We were ripped off, the All Blacks cheated, they always get the favourable decisions going their way, particularly at Eden Park … there was this, and there was that’.

“It was like, mate, we didn’t make you drop the ball f***** ball 15 times.

“Do you know how many tackles they fell off? They were falling off tackles like that. But they go straight towards, Quinn Tupaea, it should have been a yellow card, Jacobson should’ve been a red.

“It’s like, you know what guys, sort out your own s*** first, and don’t blame everyone else.

“Look at yourself in the mirror, Ireland, for goodness sake.”