Epic struggle was just more than a little personal for mighty All Blacks

There was a steeliness about them as they spoke to the media two days out from this game that was evident in the way they tackled, attacked the breakdown and clinically finished their try-scoring opportunities.

Mon, 16 Oct, 2023 - 06:30

Patrick McKendry, Paris (half length cut)

It will probably be of little comfort for Ireland’s rugby supporters to be assured that the All Blacks had to dig as deep as they ever have to win Saturday night’s quarter-final and condemn the Irish to yet more World Cup disappointment.

The All Blacks knew they had to go to their limits to beat the world’s No.1 side and they did that and probably a little more as they attacked with intelligence and skill and, when Ireland refused to go away, were forced to defend the final assault of 37 phases.

In that defensive effort was a desperation reminiscent of their 8-7 final victory over France at Eden Park in 2011 when the Kiwis in the crowd were struck almost dumb by the intensity of the action and the stakes involved and there were hints too of the narrow semi-final win four years later against the Springboks at Twickenham.

Aaron Smith, sin-binned in the first half for his intentional knock-on as he attempted an intercept, was close to tears at the final whistle. Many of his teammates sank to the Stade de France pitch in exhaustion and relief. This was a serious achievement and one of their best ever World Cup victories.

It was also personal.

Make no mistake, last year’s historic series victory by Ireland in New Zealand shook the All Blacks to the core. The fallout has been well reported – the traditional Sunday press conference arbitrarily cancelled because an All Blacks media manager wanted to protect the under-fire head coach Ian Foster and, far more seriously, two assistant coaches losing their jobs.

So, they felt like they owed Ireland one as they prepared for a World Cup match in which they were officially set as underdogs by the bookies, including those in New Zealand, for the first time ever.

As former head coach Sir Steve Hansen, involved in the back-to-back World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015, was fond of saying, the biggest Tests get the players’ bums closer to the front of their seats than the backs. One suspects they were close to tipping over the edge here.

And if anyone personified that attitude it was skipper Sam Cane, a man memorably written off by Peter O’Mahony during the final Test in Wellington last year as “just a shit Richie McCaw”.

“No motivation from that,” Cane said afterwards when asked about the O'Mahony one-liner. "We know they have got a few players who love to try to get under your skin, I suppose, with tactics like that.

“We went into the game knowing that they were going to be like that, but we consciously focused on just sticking to our jobs and just executing our stuff. And, yeah, we didn't buy into it, I suppose.”

No motivation from that? Maybe, maybe not. Cane would never admit it but the All Blacks have memories like elephants when it comes to slights, perceived or otherwise, and in fairness that probably applies to all top international teams.

Ardie Savea, similarly inspired in the 28-24 victory, afterwards shared an insight about the All Blacks’ mindset when he said: "I held receipts and I let that fuel me and the fire for this weekend. I think a lot of the boys did tonight."

When asked what the "receipts" amounted to, and whether they were delivered by Ireland, the loose forward gave a small grin and replied, "everyone".

Flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, a superbly talented player who has struggled to consistently transfer his Super Rugby dominance with the Crusaders to the international game, was hugely influential and afterwards spoke of his team’s determination to prove themselves as worthy.

"That was part of it and the other part of it was doing it for each other - unless you've been in our circle and know what we've been through, then you don't understand, but the team is tight because of what we've been through,” he said.

"Our opportunity now is to show how we respond to all of that and this was a step in the right direction."

The enduring images of this match will probably be Ireland’s ability to repeatedly counter-punch to stay in a game which, with the score 13-0 in the first quarter, was close to slipping away from them, the All Blacks’ connectedness and physicality on defence and at the breakdown, their utter delight at the final whistle, and Ireland’s corresponding disappointment.

And just on that, one would have to possess a cold heart indeed to not be moved by the post-match television pictures of the son of the retiring legend Johnny Sexton looking up at his father and saying: “You’re still the best, Dad.”

Above all, what may stick in many New Zealanders’ memories will be the All Blacks’ refusal to let Ireland have the final say, a commitment which owed itself as much to determination and bravery as accuracy and discipline.

“What an incredible finish to a Test match,” Cane said. “I think that [37 phases], is the longest I have heard of, or witnessed.

“The boys kept turning up for each other. I think defence won us the Test match tonight. History shows that teams that win World Cups are very good defensively. It is our benchmark going forward.”