Ireland enjoyed another famous night under the Aviva Stadium floodlights as a Herculean defensive effort, combined with a poacher’s finish from Jacob Stockdale for the only try, earned them their first ever home win over New Zealand, the world’s number one-ranked team.
Sustaining a relentless work-rate throughout, Joe Schmidt’s men became the first Ireland team to defeat the All Blacks in Dublin. The 16 previous meetings in the capital since November 1905 – at either the Lansdowne Road venue or Croke Park – had produced victories for the New Zealanders and a lone draw in 1973.
Jonathan Sexton kicked Ireland into a 10th minute lead, and his third successful penalty, just before half-time, made it 9-6 to the hosts. They twice went close to scoring tries through CJ Stander, who was held up under the posts, and returning full-back Rob Kearney who was denied by a slight knock-on.
Sexton’s opposite number Beauden Barrett kept the World Cup and Rugby Championship winners in the hunt with a penalty and a drop goal, but Jacob Stockdale’s superb chip-and-chase try in the 47th minute raised hopes of a repeat of Ireland’s historic success against the same opposition in Chicago two years ago.
Memories of the dramatic finale to the sides’ 2013 clash at the Aviva Stadium came flooding back as Barrett’s second penalty made it 16-9 and the All Blacks steeled themselves for a big finish. However, Ireland brilliantly held firm, all 23 players playing their part in a simply immense performance.
Man-of-the-match Peter O’Mahony led the way with his lineout and breakdown impact and leadership at crucial stages, the team’s all-round display going up a number of notches from last week against Argentina as Sexton, Bundee Aki, Kearney, Kieran Marmion, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier and Stander all shone.
Captain Rory Best also produced an astute display as he guided his troops to another coveted piece of Irish Rugby history. There were some other significant statistics too as Ireland became the first northern Hemisphere team, other than last year’s British & Irish Lions, to keep New Zealand try-less in a Test since France back in November 1995.
Schmidt’s charges kept the All Blacks to their lowest points tally in 96 Tests since the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against France (8-7), while it was their lowest score against Ireland in Dublin since winning 6-5 back in December 1963.
Notably, between last year’s GUINNESS Series and this one, Ireland have now completed a full set of wins over the nine other teams currently ranked in the world’s top 10. It was their eleventh straight triumph on home soil – another new record – and Stockdale’s twelfth try in just his 14th international outing keeps up his excellent strike-rate.
As openside van der Flier mentioned afterwards, the Ireland players took one step forward under the instructions of Best as the haka began. It represented their desire to go after the All Blacks and not take a backward step. Toner’s take-down of the kick-off, coupled with Kearney’s positioning to hoover up a loose ball from an aerial contest, saw them start in confident fashion.
Kearney had to concede a lineout in his 22 from a neatly-threaded Barrett kick, but the vocal home crowd, who made sure the stadium was a cauldron of noise throughout, roared with delight when Stander and van der Flier forced a penalty at the breakdown to halt New Zealand at a dozen phases.
Second row Ryan won Ireland’s first lineout and soon popped up on a gain-line-breaking carry over the halfway line. A lineout off a penalty then provided the platform for work-hungry winger Keith Earls to jink through into try-scoring range.
Ireland came away with three points from their first visit to the 22, Sexton firing over a 10th minute penalty from straight in front after Kieran Read was caught offside. New Zealand’s initial attempts to respond were thwarted by Toner and Ryan’s ball-dislodging tackle on Brodie Retallick, but from a similar fumble by Best, Ben Smith kicked downfield, Kearney was guilty of going off his feet and Barrett swept over the right-sided penalty kick in the 16th minute.
The home side soon raided forward on the back of their own brutish defence and New Zealand indiscipline, which included a scrum penalty five metres out after number 8 Stander, who was well supported by Furlong and Cian Healy, had initially been held up.
The penalty advantage saw Sexton dink a kick over the top for Kearney to chase, the full-back managing to get his hands on the ball which had evaded a leaping Jack Goodhue. Nonetheless, TMO Rowan Kitt ruled that the Louth man had knocked on in the act of scoring.
Sexton was still able to boot Ireland back in front from close range, but the lead lasted barely two minutes as Sam Whitelock charged back into the Irish 22, Best infringed at a ruck before the penalty advantage allowed Barrett to drill over only the second drop goal of his international career. It was six points apiece, almost half-an-hour gone and a classic contest with an infectiously high tempo and intensity.
Good competition at the restart led to Best regaining possession for his side, Ireland building momentum via strong carries from Furlong, Healy and O’Mahony before Ardie Savea, arguably the pick of the New Zealand forwards, was well positioned to win a relieving penalty. However, Stockdale fought hard to win a high ball at the second attempt, charging up past halfway to set up a strong finish to the first half from the men in green.
Ryan was popping up all over the place, carrying and clearing out with real gusto, and a series of penalties coughed up by New Zealand, including a second one at scrum time, brought their tally to eight by the 38th minute – four more than they conceded during the entire England game last week. Sexton’s third close range strike gave the hosts a deserved lead to take into the break.
New Zealand threatened to erase that just minutes into the second period, although their captain Reid knocked the ball forward having done well to block down Stockdale’s attempted chip over him. It was a dangerous situation with Jack Goodhue lurking in support, but Ireland soon steadied themselves with a terrific turnover penalty from O’Mahony and they then struck for the game’s solitary try.
O’Mahony won the subsequent lineout with Sexton and Aki cleverly changing the point of attack, sending Stockdale up the left wing, the Ulsterman’s chip this time clearing Retallick and he outpaced Aaron Smith to regather the ball and use his strength to make it over the line. The raucous cheers died down for Sexton to clip over a well-struck 34-metre conversion and put 10 points between the sides.
Furlong barrelled forward from a Retallick spill, Garry Ringrose’s kick towards forcing Barrett to play the ball and Kearney gleefully bundled him into touch. The All Blacks succeeded him disrupting Toner at the five-metre lineout, though, and replacement hooker Dane Coles hoovered up possession at the tail.
Scrum half Marmion continued to provide crisp ball from ruck and ruck and kick accurately, the heavy traffic not slowing him down, and his one-handed scoop off the ground was a moment of class. Sexton’s high hanging kick saw Rieko Ioane and Kearney collide in the air, the latter giving away a penalty but nothing more.
Ioane increased his influence with a nice break off the back of a lineout, but his attempted pass went forward. It was a glimpse of what the All Blacks can do and they did go up through the gears during a real edge-of-the-seat final quarter.
Stockdale and Kearney had to react quickly to defend a couple of kick chases, while the most dangerous one of them all saw the retreating O’Mahony save a near certain try with Ben Smith looking to score from a Barrett grubber kick.
The Munster skipper received a huge standing ovation when he was replaced soon after, his final act seeing him win another vital penalty at the breakdown. Ireland continued to be tested in defence, Barrett jinking through a sliver of pace with van der Flier hauling him down a few metres short and his attempted offload being intercepted by Kearney, who was replaced by Jordan Larmour for the final 15 minutes.
Barrett punished a high tackle from Sexton to reduce the margin to seven points, just reward for the Kiwis’ control of possession and territory over the preceding minutes. Another area of growing strength for Steven Hansen’s side was the lineout with Whitelock and Retallick popping up with two steals in the absence of a replaced Toner.
One of those lost lineouts came after Stockdale and Sexton had doubled up to tackle Ben Smith into touch, setting up a gilt-edged maul opportunity in the 22. Stander was Ireland’s physical enforcer up front, winning turnover ball after up a New Zealand attack to turn it into a maul.
Ireland were mostly on the defensive down the final stretch, the only attack of note seeing Stockdale step away from Barrett on the left wing before he was ankle-tapped by Anton Lienert-Brown just after putting boot to ball as he sought out a second try.
The Ireland fans belted out another inspiring rendition of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ as the All Blacks came with one final surge. They built through 16 phases with out-half Barrett to the fore, propelling the visitors up to the edge of the Irish 22 before Retallick’s knock-on confirmed Ireland as deserved winners.
It is also interesting to note that try scorer Stockdale, Ryan and prop Andrew Porter, who made his presence felt as did all the replacements, are the only three Irish players to ever claim wins over New Zealand at both Under-20 and senior level. Notably, and with a nod to the future, Ireland ended yesterday’s tumultuous game with two 22-year-olds, two 23-year-olds and the 21-year-old Larmour on the pitch.
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