With tomorrow's game in Chicago ahead of us, Gavin Spillane looks back on Ireland's last five meetings with the All Blacks.
New Zealand 24 Ireland 22; November 24, 2013
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Positives: The first 60 minutes. The Irish performance- Schmidt’s third game as coach- had plenty of incision, vigour and heart. Cian Healy was at his robust best, the Irish defence was ferocious and New Zealand looked rattled when Rob Kearney latched onto Israel Dagg’s dropped pass and raced clear for Ireland’s third try after 17 minutes. Despite the heartbreaking defeat, this game was the focal point in Ireland becoming back-to-back Six Nations champions.
Negatives: As impressive as the All Blacks’ winning mentality is, failing to put them away after scoring 19 unanswered points remains the greatest ever missed chance in Irish rugby.
What went wrong for Ireland: The influential Rory Best departing with a broken arm minutes after scoring the first try was a blow. Sean O’Brien’s influence at the breakdown was diminished in the second half after Nigel Owens warned him he was risking a yellow card but it was those last 10 minutes that unravelled Ireland.
A revitalised New Zealand team, led by the injection of pace that Beauden Barrett brought off the bench, caused Ireland to give away a decisive penalty which the All Blacks expertly worked into a winning, and heartbreaking, score in stoppage time.
Key moment: There were a few; Sexton was presented with a penalty from a driving maul to make it an 8 point game in the 73rd minute, but nudged it right. Steven Luatua preventing the ball from going into touch with an audacious offload was also noteworthy as it led to Julian Savea’s try minutes later and of course, Ryan Crotty’s last-gasp score.
Sidenotes: Andrew Hore’s 83rd and last appearance for the All Blacks.
IRELAND: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney; Sexton, Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, P O’Connell; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip
NEW ZEALAND: I Dagg; C Jane, B Smith, M Nonu, J Savea; Cruden, A Smith; W Crockett, A Hore, C Faumuina; B Retallick, S Whitelock; S Luatua, R McCaw, K Read
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