Ireland v New Zealand: 10 moments that mattered

Less on the scoreboard than in Soldier Field maybe, but Saturday’s renewal between Ireland and New Zealand matched the drama of Chicago in pretty much every other way and even sprinkled a painful dose of controversial incidents along the way with it.

7. Sean O’Brien stopped short

Malakai Fekitoa had already registered New Zealand’s intent with a breathtaking opening try when Jamie Heaslip broke the black ranks with a run borne of a botched lineout from the tourists but his offload to O’Brien was just off line enough to slow down the Carlow man.

That stall in momentum and the need to secure the ball rather than fend off any pursuers allowed Beauden Barrett the time and opportunity to bring the Irish flanker down and New Zealand scrambled again soon after to keep CJ Stander the wrong side of the white chalk.

It wouldn’t be the last chance spurned.

12. No yellow for Sam Cane

It was the tackle that led to Robbie Henshaw being carted off on a stretcher but Jaco Peyper felt a penalty was sufficient punishment for Cane who, he judged, was attempting to wrap his arms around the Athlone man when Henshaw spun towards him. “One of our players in on a stretcher,” said Jonathan Sexton to no effect. It was reckless at best and head height. A yellow should have been the minimum.

13. Andrew Trimble sticks an arm out

The ‘what ifs’ weren’t reserved for Ireland. New Zealand were denied a certain try when Trimble attempted to intercept a Barrett pass after the All Black 10 cut through the Irish defence. There would be no mistake four minutes later.

14. Try or no try?

Sexton appeared to do enough to keep the ball off the turf when Barrett broke through again off the back of a scrum in midfield but the TMO adjudged the effort to be sufficient and awarded a five-pointer that would add up to seven. To be fair, Sexton’s tackle was around the neck and illegal.

18. The toll rises

Sexton walks off after tweaking an old hamstring strain. Word arrives not long after CJ Stander has failed his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and Ireland have already lost three of their key performers as the attrition takes its toll.

30. Let off for Ireland

Barrett strips Paddy Jackson and dots down under the sticks but Peyper disallows it for a knock-on. Lucky for Ireland as World Rugby directives say otherwise.

49. Wrong colour

Malakai Fekitoa scrambles across the park to deal with a ball-carrying Simon Zebo and, though he leads with his forearm and catches the Munsterman high, he escapes with a yellow card when the replay shows a red was merited.

49. O’Brien goes close again

Sean O’Brien knocks on when barrelling around the side of a lineout as New Zealand brace for a maul. Ireland trailed 14-6 at the time and the door was wide open. A good example of how execution let Joe Schmidt’s side down in the visitors’ 22 on the day.

54. Kearney foiled

A Zebo grubber is collected in the All Black 22 by Rob Kearney who steps into contact five metres out when a look up and pop pass back would have played in one of the supporting runners.

66. Game over

The move that broke the game’s back. New Zealand, who lost the penalty count 14-4 and stepped over the discipline line time and again on the day day, put together a sensational move with Barrett doing most of the fancy stuff in setting Fekitoa free again.