"I've been away from home for a long time," Bundee Aki said with a note of emotion in his voice following Ireland's 32-17 defeat to the Maori All Blacks.
On a rainy Wednesday evening in Hamilton, just over an hour south of where he grew up, Aki captained Ireland at the home of the Chiefs, the team with which he won a Super Rugby title nearly a decade ago.
"To get this honour, and privilege to lead out this Ireland team, I don't take it lightly," he added.
It was a poor performance from Ireland, especially during a first half which saw the Maori All Blacks score all four of their tries, and hold a 32-10 lead at the break. Ireland did manage to send Aki over for a try in the first half, while Gavin Coombes added a second after the break.
Ireland captain Bundee Aki laid down a jersey in tribute to the late Chiefs and Maori All Blacks player Sean Wainui before today's game. He died last year aged just 25. #MABvIRE pic.twitter.com/Y0uhgSVl3s
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 29, 2022
"Fair play to the Maori All Blacks' boys, they came out firing, and were playing on top of us from the get-go," said Aki.
"We couldn't get our game going. They deserved won that game today.
"We'll get a lot of learnings out of this game. A lot of new boys here, young guys, and all of us will certainly learn from this game. The Maori All Blacks were a way better team tonight."
It was a Maori All Blacks team featuring 10 debutants. Zarn Sullivan, Shaun Stevenson, Brad Weber, and Cullen Grace scored the tries for a side which looked to be really enjoying themselves during the first half.
"Those Adidas balls should come with a 'slippery when wet warning'," said joint-captain Weber.
"We were encouraged that if there was space in front of us, we should have a crack. We were happy to have a crack from our own 22 if we thought that it was on. We just wanted the boys to show a bit of flair, and play at a speed that we hoped Ireland couldn't handle. That first half certainly showed it. It was just fun to be a part of.
This try has got us lost for words in Kirikiriroa.
🎥: @SkySportNZ#MABvIRE pic.twitter.com/ZpfOrOtXYQ— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) June 29, 2022
"We're all Maoris; we all want to bring out that flair. The coaches want to encourage that. You see the boys' faces light up when that's presented. We have a lot of fun here. I've been real impressed with the lads. When it's time to work, they roll the sleeves up and get stuck in.
"We're stoked that Ireland took these two games. This is huge for Maori rugby."
Ireland play the All Blacks this Saturday in the first of their three-game series. They will face the Maori All Blacks again, in Wellington, on July 12th.
See Also: All Blacks Legend Ridiculed For Claim New Zealand Are 'Underdogs' Vs Ireland
