Ireland leaned in to emotion
The way Ireland and New Zealand drew on inspiration to get off to a good start to the match on Saturday couldn’t have been more different. Ireland emerged from the tunnel with the players in green tracksuit tops. New Zealand’s entrance was a more ready-for-action look, all of them in short sleeves, guns popping and tattoos aplenty.
Presumably that was geared towards the pre-match haka being more of a warrior-styled event. For Ireland, the former Munster player and singer with the Irish band Hermitage Green, Barry Murphy, sang Ireland’s call in the number 8 jersey Anthony Foley wore for Ireland in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. That performance pulled on a different set of pre-match heart strings. The way things went with Ireland shooting to 10 points ahead, maybe Axel got the edge this time.
Andy Farrell has a choice to make
This was another match tucked away for Ireland’s young outhalves, Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast, and the pivot debate rages on. Ireland coach Andy Farrell appears to be no closer to deciding who will be his first choice 10 for the opening match of the 2026 Six Nations Championship, or for the matches against South Africa and Australia, with Crowley playing for all but 12 minutes of the Soldier Field Test.
Crowley did well in several areas, remained composed and was never overwhelmed in the face of All Black pressure, although some of his kicking was inaccurate and not the best option at the time. His dink through for Tommy O’Brien, who almost squeezed between two defenders, was excellent and his defensive work remains ahead of Prendergast’s. This battle remains an interesting challenge for both players and is destined to keep on running.
RM Block
Ireland somehow buoyed by early dismissal
Arguably Ireland’s best phase of the match was when they were a man down after Tadhg Beirne was given a yellow card, upgraded to red, after just three minutes’ play. For the 20 minutes New Zealand had the advantage of an extra man before Iain Henderson came on, Ireland, helped along by some atypical All Black mistakes, were the better side. When the Ulster lock entered the game on 23 minutes, Ireland were a deserving 10-7 ahead.
During that phase, Crowley kicked a penalty and prop Tadhg Furlong scored a try which Crowley converted. Ireland were 10-0 ahead before New Zealand vice captain Ardie Savea scored a try in the corner, which Beauden Barrett converted just three minutes before Henderson arrived to close the half with Ireland leading the match. Maybe that’s what ensured there was payback at the end as New Zealand accelerated past tired Ireland at the finish line.
Lineout a clear concern
Usually when the lineout malfunctions, the players and management talk about what went wrong being an easy fix. All sorts of things can shake the set piece up, from the hooker’s throw (too hard, too easy, too low, too high, too crooked) to the timing of the lift and the hands of the jumper.
Ireland lost five lineouts, which is a poor outcome for this side, especially with someone like Dan Sheehan, who has shown his effectiveness in peeling off the back of driving mauls. Most of his tries come from that platform, yet Sheehan did not get one opportunity to carry in the maul close to the All Black line.
Ireland defended lineouts well, with Ryan Baird stealing a vital throw in the first half five metres out. But overall, the set piece, which has traditionally been one of Ireland’s successful attacking play platforms, looked creaky and unsure of itself. Hopefully the easy fix will click in before Australia on November 15th.
US experiment has had its moment
Can the American experiment – which the IRFU intend to continue up until the 2031 World Cup – be knocked on the head, please? We’ve had the first win in Chicago against the All Blacks nine years ago and we’ve now had the rematch and shown what great fans the Irish are for travelling and coalescing around the game in Soldier Field. But it is no longer unique.
The fixture has novelty value, but is it really a “home” game for Ireland? Clearly, it isn’t, as it is played in a stadium that gives no real advantage to the home side. It is also out of the question for the majority of Ireland fans who cannot afford the flight and accommodation costs. Ticket prices in Dublin for games against the All Blacks are normally sky high anyway.
So yes, Chicago – we love you, but maybe knock the American dream on the head. The US are never going to really get interested in rugby, just as we know Ireland won’t become an NFL stronghold because of one game staged in Dublin each year.
