In a week where the Chicago Cubs finally put the curse of the Billy Goat to bed, there was no shortage of folks here who thought Ireland were about to do something similar with the monkey on their back. In Ireland’s case that creature is all black, for New Zealand are the only team they had played but never beaten. This confidence was based not on anything as tangible as form, rather on the unique atmosphere that has gripped this city since the Cubs’ World Series win on Wednesday night. The question was not why, but why not?
For example this was a New Zealand side not stuffed with household names, and led off the tee by a goal-kicker in Beauden Barrett who was just 65% in the Rugby Championship, a stat wildly at odds with his talent. On the other hand New Zealand were looking here to stretch their 100% record to 19 Tests.
At the end of 80 minutes in balmy, unseasonal conditions the Chicago effect had worked again. And after 111 years of trying, Ireland beat New Zealand – and in the most unlikely circumstances.
The word pre-match was that the game between these teams in Dublin in a fortnight was the one to watch. Yet this was a thriller, despite its countless stoppages a contest that took two hours from start to finish. Yes the Dublin game will be unmissable, but this did more than tee it up.
Having got out to 30-8 early in the second half only to see it whittled down to just four points, Ireland looked done. Yet they rallied brilliantly and were worthy winners for their adoring Irish fans in the 62,300 crowd – the biggest ever at a rugby Test in the US. New Zealand had just one moment that caused panic for the fans in green. That came in the fifth minute when Waisake Naholo opened the Irish defence with ease, en route to a try for George Moala that needed confirmation from the TMO. And that was it.
Everywhere else they were in trouble, conceding more than twice as many penalties, and unable to secure more than 57% of ball out of touch, as against Ireland’s 100%.
Most worrying for Steve Hansen, the New Zealand coach, would have been the turnovers-conceded count of 4-8 in Ireland’s favour. When you factor in that Ireland were not falling off tackles – typically their biggest weakness against this opposition – and the ABs were in trouble.
At half-time it was 25-8. That had been facilitated by Joe Moody being sent to the sin-bin for a tip tackle on Robbie Henshaw, which would have been red instead of yellow had the Ireland centre landed even slightly differently. With Moody away, Ireland plundered 14 points, which on top of Jonathan Sexton’s opening penalty saw them lead 15-5 after 17 minutes.
The first try came for Jordi Murphy from a maul – where Ireland were very strong – before Rob Kearney produced great footwork for a CJ Stander try after Ireland had to regroup when a planned maul had to be scrapped. The try that really rattled the All Blacks though came six minutes before the break when a great Sexton garryowen was reclaimed by Conor Murray, who moments later exposed weak defence on the side of the ruck to score from 20 metres.
Each side and lost a man – Ryan Crotty and Jordi Murphy – to injury, and relatively that was a bigger blow for New Zealand. They were first out in the second half looking like they were ready or work. Yet when they owned the ball for the opening five minutes, for no reward, it gave Ireland huge heart, as it had done midway through the first half when Ireland had to defend for even longer. It was Ireland who struck again, after a soft penalty against Moody for a high tackle opened the door for Simon Zebo to score in the corner.
Significantly, Sexton pulled the conversion, and within a few minutes replacement TJ Perenara touched down to change the complexion of the game. Within six minutes it had shrunk again, courtesy of Ben Smith. And while Murray pulled back three for Ireland, as Sexton went off with a leg injury, Scott Barrett got over on 65 minutes to leave just four points in it with 16 minutes left.
The reality for Ireland was they would have to score rather than try and hang on. And with four minutes left that’s what they did after Murray had done brilliantly to nail Julian Savea behind his own line.
From the scrum Jamie Heaslip stormed forward to put Henshaw over to make it a two-score game. And that was enough.