Why the All Blacks pulled Ruben Love from the field against Ireland

All Blacks first five-eighth Ruben Love was pulled from the field in the 56th minute against Ireland with fullback Damian McKenzie taking over to finish the game.

Love received heavy strapping to his left knee after coming down awkwardly from an aerial contest with Irish winger Jimmy O’Brien, with the No.10 appearing to be tackled in the air.

The officials deemed it warranted a penalty but the All Blacks took the advantage by playing on and winning a 50-22 lineout, eventually scoring through McKenzie from close range after Love nearly scored himself.

Love’s final play of the night was kicking the conversion of McKenzie’s try, with Rennie’s substitution call a precautionary move to protect his No.10.

“He [Love] tried to play on, obviously, and he was struggling a little bit. So we just decided to take him off, even though he kicked that conversion,” Rennie said.

On whether the aerial collision warranted a yellow card for O’Brien, Rennie was less concerned.

“Look, it’s often interpreted different ways,” he said.

“Sometimes if you’re lower than the guy contesting for the ball, you get rewarded. I mean, I think that Nic [Berry] just said, “Oh, it’s a penalty.”

“It would have been a penalty only. That’s probably the right call. But we’d played advantage, and we had a 50-22 down there, so he played that.

“So I’ve got no issues with the decision.”

The extent of Love’s left knee is unknown but hooker Codie Taylor is also under an injury cloud after coming off in the first half.

“Codie just got a little strain calf, so we’ll assess that,” Rennie said.

“It might mean that he he doesn’t play in the first couple of weeks in Africa, but we’ll know a little bit more over the next few days.”

The All Blacks first game of the tour is against the Stormers in Cape Town on August 7, which gives them three weeks to prepare.