Player ratings are curious things.
They are one of the most popular features around a big match in any digital publication or newspaper, but you will rarely, if ever, find a unanimous agreement on the performance of a player.
This is especially true of rugby, where so much hard work is done in areas where the sun doesn’t shine.
So in the wake of Ireland’s defeat to Argentina we decided to have a look at how media outlets here and the UK rated the Irish players’ performance in Cardiff.
The result is the old adage – let’s just agree to disagree.
Irish Times 5.93
Rory Best (8) led the way, while the combined efforts of the bench also merited an eight. Nobody lower than a five.
Newstalk 6.94
We hope Newstalk are doing our next employee appraisal after some very generous assessments here. Jack McGrath good value for his eight off the bench, but surely you can’t rate everyone six and up when you’ve lost by 23?
Harsh but fair in our view. Fours for Earls and Henshaw, while Fitzgerald’s stellar performance earns him the only eight in our ratings.
The42 6.00
Line and length from The42, who stay within a five-seven point spread.
Irish Independent 6.70
More plaudits for replacements McGrath and Fitzgerald, while Best, Murray and skipper Heaslip are also given eights. Bowe’s injury leaves him the only man with as low as a five.
The Telegraph 5.0
Maybe it takes an outsider’s view to get the truest picture? Joe Schmidt will hope not as James Corrigan absolutely scalped his players. Rory best and Iain Henderson were Ireland’s best performers with a six out of 10. Rob Kearney, Cian Healy and Tommy Bowe all scored four. Ouch.
