Key moments of a World Cup classic - through the eyes of those who made it happen
UP FOR IT: Ireland's Mack Hansen and Leicester Fainga'anuku of New Zealand compete for possession at the Stade de France.
Having made strong opening in each of the three Tests in their historic 2-1 series victory on New Zealand soil in 2022, it was Ireland’s turn to be on the receiving end of an opening whirlwind at Stade de France.
A penalty apiece from Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett doubled down on the All Blacks’ early breakdown superiority as Ireland turned down an early shot at goal and then failed to convert off the ensuing lineout.
Their lead became 13-0 on 18 minutes thanks to a Leicester Fainga’anuku finish after Beauden Barrett’s exquisitely executed chip and chase opened Ireland up, a try converted by Mo’unga.
“They go 6-0 up and they're a team that scores tries, you know?” Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell said. “When we've managed to get one over New Zealand we've scored tries knowing they're going to score tries, so sometimes that's just the way the game goes. Sometimes a team gets a penalty, gets a bit of field position off the back of that and scores a penalty or a try and they're the ones with the fast start.”
One of the hallmarks of this Ireland team is the ability to problem-solve on the run, and rectify mistakes with a no-excuses mentality and next-moment focus. Their second-quarter fightback typified that, with a wonderful try from their player of the tournament Bundee Aki on 27 minutes, the centre beating three players and powering between two more, and an excellent snipe off the back of a maul from Jamison Gibson-Park just before half-time to make it a one-point game at 18-17 to New Zealand.
O’Connell: “You never want to be 13-0 down, but I never felt we were going to struggle to get scores. We just knew they were going to grab a few, then it's a question of time on the clock.”
Not for the first time at this World Cup, Ireland suffered with a misfiring lineout and New Zealand turned superior lineout defence into an attacking platform, scoring through Ardie Savea on 33 minutes, between Aki and Gibson-Park’s tries for the Irish.
Said O’Connell: “I think we lost three. They’re a good defensive lineout, New Zealand. I think we have the best defensive lineout, they might be the second best. They guessed right on two of them. They didn’t really hurt us that much but then they got a hand to another one which got spilled and then they got the field position and scored a try off that. So that was frustrating. There was a lot of very good things in our lineout tonight but we’ll look back on those three and regret them for a while..”
Having worked their way back into the contest by half-time, Ireland handed back the initiative to their rivals 13 minutes after the interval. And it was a textbook starter move from the playbook of All Blacks attack coach Joe Schmidt, the former Ireland boss.
All it took was the slightest of defensive glitches from Ireland off a lineout in the opposition half and New Zealand had the space to execute, Mo’unga bursting through the line and storming upfield, his even faster team-mate Will Jordan on his shoulder to finish in style and restore some breathing space at 25-17 following Jordie Barrett’s conversion.
"We practised that throughout the week,” Mo’unga said. “The move wasn't actually made for me, it was made for Will Jordan on the inside and I saw the two defenders hold on him because obviously he's a big threat at the line. I was able to get through, and thank God it happened that way because I wouldn't have had the wheels to finish that thing off. It became pretty crucial in the end."
O’Connell: “They scored off a four-man lineout, he’s very good at those set-piece plays. They were very disciplined, he was very good at coaching discipline in his time, Joe. They were very disciplined. My impression of the game, that they were quite disciplined. I’d like to see the scrums again but for sure his influence is in there. He’s a fantastic coach.”
Ireland finally got their lineout functioning and scored a penalty try through a powerful driving maul on 64 minutes to move to a point behind the All Blacks at 25-24, only for Jordie Barrett to add another three points with a penalty five minutes later after Conor Murray took out the inside centre.
Yet Ireland would not go away. With 73 minutes gone, they went to their maul again, drove to the tryline once more and looked to have scored another, only for replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher to be held up over the line by that man Jordie Barrett.
“Fine margins and all that,” Andy Farrell said. “Being held up over the line from a maul very close to the end, which could have sealed the game. Those little bits are all over the game, aren't they? Ifs, buts and maybes and all that, but at the end of the day it was two good teams out there playing some outstanding rugby, and unfortunately for us we came out on the wrong side of the score."
Ireland pressed on, desperate to keep their World Cup dream alive, building through phase after phase as they searched for a match-winning try. Until veteran lock, replacement Sam Whitelock secured the vital turnover on phase 37, almost two and a half minutes over time.
Foster: "They were going with a cut-and-paste attack, doing the same sort of things. We were really patient and they were really efficient with it. It was hard to get your nose in, we were hunting and searching, but we showed patience. We have been building our system for today and how we want to defend… That is what World Cups are about – you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and trust what you do.”
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