It was easy to feel for the disconsolate Irish players at the end of an epic quarterfinal but there won’t be much disputing that the All Blacks deserved their 28-24 win at Stade de France that propels them into a semifinal against Argentina where they will be clear favourites.
They weren’t favourites in this game, not by a long shot, but everyone always said the New Zealanders, although in recent times well below the level that is their standard, would have at least one big game in them. And they produced it in a packed stadium dominated by singing Irish people wearing the emerald green as they led pretty much from start to finish.
An instant classic.#RWC2023 | #IREvNZL pic.twitter.com/18se51Z0FC
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 14, 2023
They did it the hard way too if you consider that they had two yellow cards during the course of the game, with the first one in particular hurting them as it cost them seven points. They also survived a tenacious Irish fightback as the No 1 team in the world showed why they have that status by fighting back from a 13-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter to trail by just one point at halftime.
It did look at that point like Ireland might be taking control but they were unable to make a further impression on the scoreboard in the remaining six minutes - the first of the second half - that scrumhalf Aaron Smith was off the field after being carded for a tap down when his team was eight points ahead.
Ireland scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park had exploited his opposite number’s absence almost immediately as he scythed over through a gap Smith might otherwise have been occupying near an attacking lineout to score Ireland’s second try.
KIWIS FRONTED PHYSICALLY
The All Blacks had made it clear that this wasn’t going to be a comprehensive win for Ireland like the one they scored last week against Scotland when they got into the game physically early on and controlled the ball well in the first seven minutes leading up to Richie Mo’unga’s first successful penalty kick that put his team into a 3-0 lead. It was a lead they were to hold for the rest of the game.
With the weight of history, meaning Ireland’s serial failures at World Cups, where they’ve never gone beyond the stage they reached this year, pressing down on them, there was always a danger Ireland might feel the pressure if the All Blacks got the early ascendancy. Those fears were confirmed when Jordie Barrett kicked a long range penalty to stretch the lead to six points before fullback Beauden Barrett kicked and gathered on the bounce, took the hit from James Lowe, and transferred outside. The ball was stretched to the touchline and then it was transferred inside for left wing Leicester Fana’anuku to score.
The pictures picked up on television told the story - there were Irish heads in hands in the crowd as they saw their team trail by 13 points after 20 minutes. At that point it looked like it might be a proper Irish blowout, but Ireland are a better team than that. Whereas Ardie Savea and his fellow All Black looseforwards had bossed the breakdown early on, it was the Irish loosies that came back strongly and swung the momentum their way in the second 20 minutes.
A passionate game where both teams are going at it and giving their all 🙌
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— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 14, 2023
Centre Bundee Aki, who may well have ended as the player of the tournament had his team gone all the way, scored the first Irish try after Sexton, after earlier eschewing an opportunity for three points, had finally got points on the board for his team. It was in the 27th minute that Aki, with an overlap looming on his right, went himself instead and broke several All Black tackles before crossing for the score.
FIGHTBACK THWARTED
Suddenly it was 13-10 with Sexton’s conversion and Ireland were right back in it. They would have kicked themselves though for letting the All Blacks re-establish some space on the scoreboard when a 50/22 was capitalised on by man of the match Savea who went over in the corner. The conversion was missed from the touchline so the gap was back to more than a score at eight points.
The All Blacks looked like they had consolidated and would be comfortable at halftime but then came the Smith card as Ireland exerted pressure and the Gibson-Park try and Sexton’s conversion made it 18-17 at the halfway mark. It was anyone’s game.
However it was a night where in addition to their outstanding defensive effort the Kiwi X-factor and ability to make something out of nothing was very much to the fore, and Mo’unga took the ball up from a lineout, made the break and then drew the defenders before putting Will Jordan in for his team’s third try. The conversion took the advantage back to eight and you always suspected it would be hard for Ireland to win from there.
BARRETT TO THE FORE
Full marks though to the Six Nations champions for the way they fought back to get a penalty try, but Jordie Barrett was to the fore for his team, first kicking a penalty and then being the man who held up Ireland as they swarmed over the line for what would surely have been the winning try.
Jordie Barrett comes in clutch to give New Zealand a 4 point lead 🔥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 14, 2023
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Ireland had defended a more than 30 phase buildup from New Zealand early in the game and in the last move it was the All Blacks who had to defend an attack that went well beyond 30 phases. It was a huge effort from them and they deserved to win.
With the Pumas as the All Black opponents next week, there will be at least one southern hemisphere team in the final. So much for a northern black-out…
SCORES
New Zealand 28 - Tries: Leicester Fana’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan; Conversions: Richie Mo’unga and Jodie Barrett; Penalties: Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett 2.
Ireland 24 - Tries: Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park; Penalty try; Conversions: Johnny Sexton; Penalty: Johnny Sexton.