Ireland 9 New Zealand 21
No two games are the same and lightning did not strike twice. Ireland strained every sinew, and threw all but the kitchen sink at the All Blacks in an at times brutal, belting Test match, but were repelled by the visitors’ phenomenal defensive performance and greater opportunism.
Ireland carried and cleared out tirelessly, mounting multiple attacks of multiple phases. Jamie Heaslip set the tone in a huge 80 minutes, and Seán O'Brien added to their running game, which was also not affected by the early loss of CJ Stander and introduction of Josh van er Flier.
The investment in Tadgh Furlong is also reaping a rich dividend, for on this day he announced his arrival on the Test arena, with a mighty game in tight and loose, as did the rather more venerable Devin Toner.
Ireland did lose their shape a little in attack at times, especially in the second-half, and so despite 66 per cent of the possession, they ran into a proverbial, if not always legal, black brick wall, albeit they have traded blow for blow over two games with the best team in the world, over which the All Blacks scored 50 points to 49.
Regrets, they’ll have a few, such as missed opportunities, a couple of costly turnovers from forcing things and a kicking game which this time afforded the All Blacks’ back three too much time and space to launch their running game, as well as the refereeing of the spectacularly unconvincing Jaco Peyper and his officials.
There was a physical ferocity from the All Blacks which at times was more than borderline and might have earned greater punishment. Instead, it reaped untold carnage on the Irish team, with Robbie Henshaw, Johnny Sexton and Stander all forced off by the 22nd minute, which made the Irish performance all the more resolute and credible.
Ultimately though, the return of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock made a huge difference, and the All Blacks did score three tries to nil.
As ever when the All Blacks come to town, an Irish crowd were in situ fully 15 or 20 minutes before kick-off, which is some vindication for the haka in itself. Thankfully this time there was no disrespectful and distasteful throat-slitting gesture seen in Chicago which earned a rebuke from former player Craig Dowd amongst others. Ireland this time formed a traditional, straight, shoulder to shoulder, but kept on their track suits so as to then take a time out to remove them and even do a few drills.
Literally from the off, O’Brien appeared to be taken out in the air as Anton Lienert-Brown latched onto the ensuing deflection. The All Blacks were immediately on the front foot, generating quick ball and testing Ireland across the pitch.
When Conor Murray box-kicked off a turnover, Ben Smith fielded, took Murray's tackle infield and the All Blacks came again off the recycle through nine phases. Kieran Read made a couple of jaw-dropping, leg-pumping carries and with Ireland stretched to beyond breaking point, Beauden Barrett didn't so much cross kick as kick-pass to Malakai Fekitoa, who stepped inside Murray and took Jared Payne's tackle to score. Barrett made it 7-0.
Led by the mighty Heaslip, Ireland responded superbly. The Leinster number eight had the wit to over-run the ball from the deep kick-off, contributing to Aaron Smith’s overcooked and loose pass, which led to the scrumhalf having to give Ireland a lineout from the resulting ruck.
Heaslip then bounced Read – repeat, Heaslip then bounced Read! – and offloaded to O’Brien, who managed to carry on for three more metres despite Barrett’s tackle just hauling him down fractionally short of the line. Heaslip made another big carry off the base and Stander was held up over the line before compensation came by way of a Sexton penalty.
There followed a high hit by Sam Cane on Henshaw after he had spun out of Lienart-Brown. It may not have been deliberate foul play, but it was foul play nonetheless, his shoulder making initial contact with the Irish centre's face.
Despite this, the officials deemed the high hit only worthy of a penalty. "Our player is on a stretcher," Sexton pointed out to Peyper, who also motioned Irish skills coach Richie Murphy away as Joe Schmidt looked on furiously from the coaches' box. Garry Ringrose came on, with Payne switching to inside centre.
After Furlong bounced no less than three All Blacks, out of nothing from another over-kicked ball, Barrett chipped into space and regathered; Andrew Trimble saving a try with a one-handed, knocked on intercept as the All Blacks outhalf sought to give a deft try-scoring offload to Israel Dagg.
However, from a flat alignment off the ensuing scrum, Murray couldn’t plug the gap as Barrett simply used his phenomenal pace to take Aaron Smith’s pass and straighten through. Sexton claimed he had successfully, and quite brilliantly, manoeuvred his hand underneath the ball as he flipped Barrett over the dead-ball line.
Despite the crowd's loud booing, Welsh TMO John Mason was too quick in adjudging it a try, and when a doubtful Peyper asked him: "Can you see a clear ground?", Mason maintained he had. That looked doubtful, although the point of the ball could have brushed the grass, and in any event Barrett converted as well for a 14-3 lead.
Not surprisingly after his world-class display in Chicago, the All Blacks clearly targeted Murray. Dane Coles came through early on the Irish scrumhalf, clattering him to the ground, and ought to have been yellow carded. Then, when Aaron Smith came through on Murray to hack the ball through, altogether more legitimately and without thumping into Murray, he was binned. Go figure.
Alas, the hamstrung Sexton departed at the same time, to be replaced by Paddy Jackson. Alas too, the All Blacks defended the ensuing lineout cleverly, and Ireland were correctly done for a truck and trailer.
But after a brilliant take by a leaping Trimble, a rampaging Stander smashed Fekitoa in the carry, although was then hit with a no-arms tackle by Dagg which saw Stander depart for an Head Injury Assessment and not re-appear.
From carries by Heaslip and Ringrose, Read stemmed an attack by getting over the ball, and when Ben Smith, a temporary scrumhalf, was blatantly offside at the ensuing scrum, Ireland opted for the penalty against 14 men with which Jackson made it 14-6.
Barrett nearly had another try but recourse to the TMO clearly showed he had knocked on in ripping the ball from Jackson, and Retallick led the All Blacks’ final defensive effort of the half with three tackles across the pitch and then won the turnover penalty.
Ireland began the second half with the same effort and intensity, and some patient and effective recycling with Van der Flier to the fore, but so too was New Zealand’s defence, Whitelock winning a turnover penalty after a carry by Jack McGrath.
Back came Ireland, Ringrose making a big carry, and then mounted another multi-phase attack, 15 phases in total, after Julien Savea failed to deal with a well-placed bomb in behind him by Jackson. New Zealand held firm, although when Ireland went wide and Rory Best linked with Simon Zebo, he was caught around the neck and head by Fekitoa's swinging arm.
It was a thuggish cheap shot, and for all Read’s scarcely credible protestations, an apologetic Fekitoa accepted his yellow. It could have been red, but not, of course, against an All Black.
When Ireland went to the corner and Heaslip extended himself to the limit to gather Best’s throw, Toner peeled off with O’Brien and passed the ball on, but O’Brien knocked on when possibly the try was on. Chances like that were not commonplace. It felt pivotal.
Owen Franks conceded another penalty for another high, one-armed tackle on Murray – although it was not in Fekitoa's league, but this attack ended when Van der Flier, who had a fine game, went for a difficult offload off the deck for a turnover.
The All Blacks were living off scraps, a break off the blindside of a lineout by Coles ending when Trimble attacked the ball in the tackle and O'Brien completed the turnover. O'Brien then made a huge carry, and when Zebo grubbered deftly and Dagg failed to gather, Rob Kearney picked up but didn't see or hear Donnacha Ryan in support. Another chance gone.
Compensation came by way of a Jackson penalty to make it 14-9 but upon his introduction Cian Healy attempted a skip-three pass which eluded Zebo on the touchline. As costly was Jackson over-cooking a relieving kick, Ben Smith counter-attacking infield. A couple of phases later, Barrett took a return pass from Lienart-Brown, and offloads in the tackle by Dagg and TJ Perenara put Fekitoa over; the last pass looking marginally forward.
Best implored Peyper to have a look at the video, but he declined to do so, and despite more big carries by Van der Flier, offloading to the supporting Heaslip, and Ringrose, Ireland could pierce the unbreakable black line.
A cracking, full-on game of Test rugby.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins Fekitoa try, Barrett con 0-7; 10 mins Sexton pen 3-7; 14 mins Barrett try and con 3-14; 25 mins Jackson pen 6-14; (6-14); 58 mins Jackson pen 9-14; 66 mins Fekitoa try, Barrett con 9-21.
IRELAND: R Kearney (Leinster); A Trimble (Ulster), J Payne (Ulster), R Henshaw (Leinster), S Zebo (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); J McGrath (Leinster), R Best (Ulster, capt), T Furlong (Leinster); D Ryan (Munster), D Toner (Leinster); CJ Stander (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: G Ringrose (Leinster) for Henshaw (11 mins), P Jackson (Ulster) for Murray (17 mins), J Van der Flier (Leinster) for Stander (22 mins), C Healy (Leinster) for McGrath, I Henderson (Ulster) for Ryan (both 58 mins), S Cronin (Leinster) for Best, F Bealham (Connacht) for Furlong (both 68 mins), K Marmion (Connacht) for Zebo (76 mins).
NEW ZEALAND: B Smith (Highlanders); I Dagg (Crusaders), M Fekitoa (Highlanders), A Lienert-Brown (Chiefs), J Savea (Hurricanes); B Barrett (Hurricanes), A Smith (Highalnders); J Moody (Crusaders), D Coles (Hurricanes), O Franks (Crusaders); B Retallick (Cheifs), S Whitelock (Blues); L Squire (Highlanders), S Cane (Chiefs), K Read (Crusaders, capt).
Replacements: TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) for A Smith, A Cruden (Chiefs) for J Savea (both 58 mins), S Barrett (Crusaders) for Squire (68 mins), W Naholo (Highlanders) for B Smith (73 mins), C Taylor (Crusaders) for Coles (76 mins).
Sinbinned: A Smith (17-27 mins), Fekitoa (49-59 mins),
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa).
