Ireland 29 New Zealand 20: Relentless green wave too much for All Blacks
GREEN GIANTS: Ireland's Hugo Keenan celebrates at the final whistle with James Lowe Pic: Bryan Keane, Inpho
Ireland claimed another famous Lansdowne Road victory over the All Blacks on Saturday seeing out a titanic struggle in front of a delirious sell-out home crowd in Dublin.
It was Ireland’s third win over the number one-ranked side in the world since 2016 and a second straight on home soil as Andy Farrell’s side avenged a 46-14 World Cup quarter-final hammering by New Zealand in Tokyo two years ago.
Tries from James Lowe. Ronan Kelleher and man of the match Caelan Doris outscored the All Blacks, who had tries from Codie Taylor and Will Jordan while the three late penalties from replacement fly-half Joey Carbery, one of them from halfway, saw Ireland home in fine style.
It was no more than Ireland deserved having dominated possession and territory throughout, matching the All Blacks at the set-piece and playing with clinical accuracy without panicking when New Zealand enjoyed their purple patches. And it also gives further kudos to head coach Farrell and his coaching staff who have given Ireland’s attacking player an added dimension, adding this epic win to last week’s 60-5 demolition of Japan.
Ireland had even emerged from an eve-of-match Covid scare when further testing of a player revealed a false positive, but not before that squad member and another identified as a close contact had been isolated for the afternoon, thereby missing the captain’s run training session.
It may have led to a change to the replacements as Rob Herring came onto the bench in place of Dan Sheehan at hooker.
If it had caused disruption to Farrell's squad it did not show on matchday as Ireland revelled in a white-hot atmosphere generated by the sell-out crowd. Sexton’s team were on the front foot from the start, winning collisions and ruling in the air as they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory.
Yet, in typical All Blacks’ style, it was the visitors who threatened first as Beauden Barrett took advantage of a rare foray into the Irish half courtesy of a penalty for contact in the air, Off the resulting lineout, the fly-half dinked a lovely crossfield kick to the right and wing Will Jordan, who made for the corner before passing infield to Jordie Barrett on the crash who would have scored by a covering tackle from Andrew Conway and Hugo Keenan.
An Irish turnover followed and there was a further oost when New Zealand hooker Codie Taylor was yellow-carded for a high hit on Sexton, referee Luke Pearce deeming the foul play was at a low level of danger.
With a man advantage, Ireland capitalised and it was a clever change in the point of attack as they besieged the tryline that opened up New Zealand’s defences, the ball sent out to the left from in front of the posts, Keenan sending out a long pass for James Lowe to collect and score against the country of his birth.
The Aviva erupted in joyous celebration but Sexton’s missed touchline conversion was was swiftly followed by a ruck penalty at the other end and less than three minutes after Lowe’s try, the All Blacks were on the scoreboard through Beauden Barrett’s boot, Ireland continued to dominate possession and once again were camped on the opposition tryline. Hooker Ronan Kelleher made a lung for the line off a lineout and in the next phase Tadhg Furlong pounced for what looked like Ireland’s second try and a 10-3 lead. Yet it was not to be, referee Pearce judging Kelleher to have made a double movement in his try-scoring attempt.
It was a mistake that cost the home side almost immediately. New Zealand advanced upfield from the penalty and when Ireland conceded another after ANdrew porter was pinged for playing a man off the ball, the All Blacks struck from the resulting lineout, a mix-up between front rowers Kelleher and Furlong let flanker Dalton Papalii into open ground and his break to the line supported by Taylor, who received the pass to score. With Beauden Barrett undergoing an HIA from which he would not return, full-back and younger brother Jordie Barrett slotted the conversion to push the All Blacks in front at 10-5 on 32 minutes and that’s how it stayed at half-time.
Ireland would have wished for a greater return for their dominance but another strong start, this time to the second half, did pay dividends, Kelleher atoning for his first-half penalty with a try on 44 minutes to capitalise on Irish pressure and six minutes later Caelan Doris, enjoying a strong performance at blindside flanker, made a break from the 22-metre line to score next to the posts.
Sexton had missed the first conversion attempt from wide out, striking an upright but he made no mistake from close range to send his side into a 17-10 lead and quickly afterwards scored Ireland’s 15th unanswered point of the second half with a penalty on 55 minutes to open up a 20-10 lead.
It would not last for long in a pulsating contest, Will Jordan scoring on 62 minutes as he chipped over an Irish defender then collected a return pass from Reiko Ioane to finish unimpeded, Jordie Barrett kicking the extras.
Ireland quickly added three points of their own as Joey Carbery’s first involvement after replacing Sexton for a Head Injury, kicked a 64th-minute penalty. Jordie Barrett replied on 69 minutes to return the scoreboard to a three-point game at 23-20 but only after an All Blacks try was disallowed for a forward pass from Rieko Ioane.
Carbery stepped up to the plate again on 73 minutes, sending over a penalty from the halfway line as the Aviva crowd erupted in celebration and Ireland took a six-point lead into the dying minutes, 26-20 to the good.
If there was tension it was drowned out by the remarkable noise being generated in the stands and one more explosion of sound signalled a ruck penalty for Ireland on 79 minutes. What followed was even louder when Carbery coolly slotted over his kick and victory secured.
