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IRELAND suffered a first home defeat in more than three years as they were beaten by New Zealand in an Autumn Nations Series match that failed to add a latest exciting chapter to one of rugby’s greatest rivalries.
Six penalties from New Zealand fly-half Damian McKenzie lifted the All Blacks to their first win on Irish soil since 2016.
McKenzie kicked three penalties to give New Zealand a 9-6 half-time lead, although they lost Jordie Barrett to a yellow card for a high tackle on Garry Ringrose.
With a numerical advantage, Ireland started the second half in style with Josh van der Flier scoring a much-needed try for the hosts.
But Ireland’s discipline cost them as McKenzie nailed three more penalties before Will Jordan’s try – his 37th in 39 Tests – killed the home side’s hopes of exacting revenge for last year’s World Cup quarter-final loss.
While New Zealand head to France having added an Irish scalp to Saturday’s win over England, the Six Nations champions must regroup before welcoming Argentina to Dublin next week.
“We’re disappointed. It’s easily summed up by the mood of the dressing room,” said Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.
“It’s pretty sombre. The lads are gutted and we’re all gutted. I thought we’d prepped well, trained well and we were excited about the game. We didn’t manage to put our game out on the field.
“Obviously the opposition have a big say in that. The energy and accuracy wasn’t there for needing to win a big Test match like that.”
First half fails to catch fire
Both teams had scores to settle coming into a game dripping with hype and sub-plots.
And, while the hosts were unable to avenge last year’s World Cup loss, the significance of victory in Ireland will not be lost on the All Blacks after their home series defeat in 2022.
It is a rivalry that rarely disappoints, which made the first half all the more perplexing.
Indeed, even after a spine-tingling Irish roar as the hosts advanced to face the haka and the novel sight of Andrew Porter charging down an opponent’s kick a minute in, the game failed to catch fire.
With 25 minutes on the clock, the teams had only delivered a penalty apiece.
It was not without enjoyable moments, though, from Joe McCarthy’s altercation with Scott Barrett to Garry Ringrose’s crunching hit on Rieko Ioane, who played the role of the villain following his spat with Johnny Sexton.
But New Zealand, who have played nine Tests – including the Rugby Championship – since Ireland’s last outing, looked sharper and more cohesive, and would have been frustrated with only a three-point half-time lead.
Given their territory dominance and the presence of lethal finishers Jordan and Mark Tele’a in their back three, a hat-trick of McKenzie penalties was the minimum they could have extracted from the first half.
The complexion was significantly altered, however, when Barrett was sent to the bin for a high hit on his soon-to-be Leinster team-mate Ringrose.
With Barrett off and Farrell having presumably given his players a rocket at half-time, Ireland were a different team when they emerged for the second half.
Within three minutes, they scored the game’s first try, working the ball to Van der Flier after Sam Cane had been caught on his line to give Ireland the platform from a five-metre scrum.
While the 2022 World Player of the Year’s score was expected to set up a 20th consecutive home win for Ireland, the home side continued to concede penalties in scoreable positions, allowing McKenzie – who replaced concussed Beauden Barrett at out-half – to add nine more points to put New Zealand 18-13 ahead.
And there was to be no stirring comeback from the hosts. Instead, New Zealand put the Irish defence under pressure and worked the ball to the left for Jordan to dive over the line.
Not only did it confirm Ireland’s first home defeat since the 2021 Six Nations, it tightens the All Blacks’ grip on this heavyweight rivalry and puts pressure on Ireland before games against Argentina, Fiji and Australia.
Line-ups
Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Herring, Healy, O’Toole, Henderson, O’Mahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne.
New Zealand: Jordan; Tele’a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa’i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.
Replacements: Bell, Tu’ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Leinert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta.
Sin-bin: J Barrett (39)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Culled from BBC
9th November, 2024.
C.E.
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