THE DUNEDIN COUNCIL built the roof and then Ireland’s fans raised it.
Delivering a performance that evoked memories of Chicago in 2016, the Aviva in 2018 and more recently, the 29-20 victory over the three-time world champions in Dublin last November, Ireland recorded their first victory against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil at the 14th attempt.
To put this win in context, consider the following facts: just five teams – the British and Irish Lions, Wallabies, Springboks, England and France had beaten the All Blacks in this country prior to tonight.
Still not impressed? Right, here’s another stat: this was New Zealand’s first defeat in this magnificent indoor stadium, and just their sixth in 47 games here in Dunedin.
The reason why is simple. Their big players failed to show up whereas Ireland’s top performers – Peter O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Beirne, Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki – produced world class performances.
Next stop is Wellington and a series decider. Win there – and on this evidence there is no reason why they can’t – Ireland will become the first touring team to win a series in this country since 1994.
Ireland face the haka in Dunedin. Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
Can they do it? On this evidence the answer is yes, because all the issues which crippled them in Eden Park were resolved here. Yes, Andrew Porter conceded another scrum penalty – his fourth of the tour – but otherwise the scrum held strong. More to the point, he scored two tries.
Why stop there? The Irish lineout functioned well while the breakdown battle comprehensively went their way.
Even their bench – which on paper looked way weaker than the All Blacks replacements – delivered, Aki in particular.
As for the All Blacks, they may grumble about the red card which went Angus Ta’avao’s way on 30 minutes – but really they can’t complain. The replacement prop’s challenge on Garry Ringrose was reckless, forcing Ringrose out of the game.
What’s also key is that a technicality may have been missed by referee Jaco Peyper shortly afterwards, which could have seen the All Blacks reduced to 12 players temporarily and 13 for the remainder of the game.
In the end, it didn’t matter for this was a game Ireland had absolute control of for 70 of the 80 minutes, one where they did so many things right – using heart in defence, using their heads in terms of their game-management.
Even so there were flaws in attack. Twice in the first-half they had short periods where they were operating against 13-men. Twice they blew those opportunities. You can’t ignore the fact they scored only two tries against a team who had 14 players for 50 minutes. But you also can’t ignore the fact that the All Blacks were the hottest of favourites to win this.
And they didn’t.
A few factors explain this. Ireland set the tone by scoring first and we’ll come back to that score in a minute.
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Ireland's Tadhg Beirne with Jordie Barrett of New Zealand. Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
But the real key to this win came after half-time. Having dominated the first half, Ireland went into the break with a slender 10-7 lead. In truth, they should have been out of sight.
Third quarters have been key to their success over the last 12 months, though, and once again, this period yielded the critical score for Andy Farrell’s side when Porter crashed across from close range to stretch Ireland’s lead to 10 points at a period when it was 14 on 14. With that, the game was done.
It began in electrifying fashion, just two minutes on the clock when Ireland opened the scoring, Porter with the try, delivered after a stunning passage of play, which resulted from Beirne’s initial break from halfway.
It wasn’t long before Beirne was downtown, entering the All Blacks’ 22 with two Irish players to his left. Wisely, he chose the conservative option, inviting the tackle but doing enough to keep the ball in play.
The cavalry weren’t long arriving, Josh van der Flier carried twice; Beirne picked himself off the floor to get involved again before Mack Hansen punched a further hole in the All Blacks cover.
And all this while Jamison Gibson-Park directed things intelligently, repeatedly taking the right option, as Ireland worked their way through phase after phase, eventually scoring when Sexton shaped to go out the back but instead passed short to Porter who barged his way across from five yards.
Sexton converted, Ireland had a seven-nil lead, and you wondered if this could be their night.
That hunch was reinforced by the list of things that kept going Ireland’s way. First, there was the scrum. Porter was holding his own – even if he did concede his fourth penalty on this tour later in the half.
Then there was James Ryan’s intelligent reads on Codie Taylor’s throws, spoiling the first All Blacks lineout, stealing the third. By the time Caelan Doris was winning a turnover penalty on 12 minutes, which Sexton nailed from the 10-metre line, Ireland had a 10-point lead and complete control of this game.
A period of madness undoubtedly helped, first a yellow card for All Blacks wing, Leicester Fainga’anuku, whose tackle on Mack Hansen arrived so late, dawn had nearly broken.
This time Sexton opted to go to the corner rather than the posts, a vote of confidence in his pack. Big mistake. No points came of it.
Still, Ireland were playing all the rugby. A smart piece of improvisation saw Sexton break down the touchline and just fail to get Garry Ringrose away on his inside.
New Zealand's Brodie Retallick with James Lowe of Ireland. Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
Photosport / Blake Armstrong/INPHO / Blake Armstrong/INPHO
Yet there was a good reason for that as Ofa Tu’ungafasi tackled the Ireland centre off the ball. It should have been a red card but referee Jaco Peyper settled for yellow.
So, down to 13 men, the All Blacks were under the pump. Credit them for some smart defence; but really you can’t be too forgiving of Ireland’s attack during this brief period when they had such a sizeable numerical advantage.
Indeed Fainga’anuku’s return coincided with Payper awarding the All Blacks a scrum, the home crowd going berserk and the Irish contingent in the 28,191 attendance holding this surreal feeling of being 10-0 up on Dunedin soil but frustrated not to be further ahead.
That sense of irritation would briefly grow. First, they lost Garry Ringrose after Ta’avao hit him with a recklessly high tackle.
A red card was inevitable, the All Blacks down to 14 for the remainder of the game, 13 temporarily. And still Ireland couldn’t score, James Lowe knocking on deep inside the All Blacks 22, the home crowd celebrating the moment as if they’d just won the game.
Panic, again, had kicked in, just as it did this time a week ago in Eden Park. Then, the All Blacks scored 21 rapid points in the ten minutes prior to half-time, here it was seven, Beauden Barrett with a fortuitous score after the ball rebounded off his foot following Taylor’s sloppy pass.
So, 10-7 to Ireland at half-time with James Ryan in the bin.
What followed after that was significant. Sexton, O’Mahony and future Ireland captain, Doris, played with experience and intelligence, opting to kick their penalties when the options were there, knowing when to turn the screw.
The game’s key score came on 48 minutes – Porter with it after van der Flier, Tadhg Furlong and Beirne had made some superb carries.
Andrew Porter scores Ireland's second try. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
That put Ireland 10 points clear, a lead that would grow to 16 by the time Will Jordan got a consolation score two minutes from the end. By then Sexton had limped off with an injury that threatens to keep him out of the series decider. And yet even as he spoke to his players in the immediate post-match huddle, the PA announcer felt it appropriate to play Gloria Gaynor’s I will survive the perfect soundtrack to a day when Ireland kept their hopes of winning this series alive.
All Blacks scorers
Tries: Beauden Barrett, Jordan
Conversions: Jordie Barrett (1/2)
Ireland scorers
Tries: Porter 2
Conversions: Sexton (2/2)
Penalties: Sexton (3/3)
NEW ZEALAND: Jordie Barrett; Sevu Reece, Reiko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Leicester Fainga’anuku (yellow card 18-28 – Will Jordan ’48); Beauden Barrett (rep: Richie Mo’unga ’55), Aaron Smith (rep: Folau Fakatava ’60); George Bower (rep: Aidan Ross ’63), Codie Taylor (rep: Samisoni Taukei’aho ’55), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (yellow card – 25-35), Brodie Retallick (rep: Patrick Tupulotu ’43-53), Scott Barrett (Patrick Tupulotu ’73), Dalton Papalii (rep: Angus Ta’avao ’25-30 – red card 30 – Papalii rep: Pita Gus Sowakula ’68 ), Sam Cane, Ardie Savea (Aidan Ross 32)
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose (rep: Bundee Aki ’30), Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (rep: Joey Carbery ’74), Jamison Gibson Park (rep: Conor Murray ’68); Andrew Porter (rep: Cian Healy ’65), Dan Sheehan (rep: Rob Herring ’63), Tadhg Furlong (rep: Finlay Bealham ’65); James Ryan (yellow card ’38 – Kieran Treadwell ’68), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (Caelan Doris 78), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (rep: Jack Conan ’63)
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Magnificent Ireland create magic and history with stunning win over the All Blacks
NEW ZEALAND 12
IRELAND 23
THE DUNEDIN COUNCIL built the roof and then Ireland’s fans raised it.
Delivering a performance that evoked memories of Chicago in 2016, the Aviva in 2018 and more recently, the 29-20 victory over the three-time world champions in Dublin last November, Ireland recorded their first victory against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil at the 14th attempt.
To put this win in context, consider the following facts: just five teams – the British and Irish Lions, Wallabies, Springboks, England and France had beaten the All Blacks in this country prior to tonight.
Still not impressed? Right, here’s another stat: this was New Zealand’s first defeat in this magnificent indoor stadium, and just their sixth in 47 games here in Dunedin.
The reason why is simple. Their big players failed to show up whereas Ireland’s top performers – Peter O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Beirne, Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki – produced world class performances.
Next stop is Wellington and a series decider. Win there – and on this evidence there is no reason why they can’t – Ireland will become the first touring team to win a series in this country since 1994.
Can they do it? On this evidence the answer is yes, because all the issues which crippled them in Eden Park were resolved here. Yes, Andrew Porter conceded another scrum penalty – his fourth of the tour – but otherwise the scrum held strong. More to the point, he scored two tries.
Why stop there? The Irish lineout functioned well while the breakdown battle comprehensively went their way.
Even their bench – which on paper looked way weaker than the All Blacks replacements – delivered, Aki in particular.
As for the All Blacks, they may grumble about the red card which went Angus Ta’avao’s way on 30 minutes – but really they can’t complain. The replacement prop’s challenge on Garry Ringrose was reckless, forcing Ringrose out of the game.
What’s also key is that a technicality may have been missed by referee Jaco Peyper shortly afterwards, which could have seen the All Blacks reduced to 12 players temporarily and 13 for the remainder of the game.
In the end, it didn’t matter for this was a game Ireland had absolute control of for 70 of the 80 minutes, one where they did so many things right – using heart in defence, using their heads in terms of their game-management.
Even so there were flaws in attack. Twice in the first-half they had short periods where they were operating against 13-men. Twice they blew those opportunities. You can’t ignore the fact they scored only two tries against a team who had 14 players for 50 minutes. But you also can’t ignore the fact that the All Blacks were the hottest of favourites to win this.
And they didn’t.
A few factors explain this. Ireland set the tone by scoring first and we’ll come back to that score in a minute.
But the real key to this win came after half-time. Having dominated the first half, Ireland went into the break with a slender 10-7 lead. In truth, they should have been out of sight.
Third quarters have been key to their success over the last 12 months, though, and once again, this period yielded the critical score for Andy Farrell’s side when Porter crashed across from close range to stretch Ireland’s lead to 10 points at a period when it was 14 on 14. With that, the game was done.
It began in electrifying fashion, just two minutes on the clock when Ireland opened the scoring, Porter with the try, delivered after a stunning passage of play, which resulted from Beirne’s initial break from halfway.
It wasn’t long before Beirne was downtown, entering the All Blacks’ 22 with two Irish players to his left. Wisely, he chose the conservative option, inviting the tackle but doing enough to keep the ball in play.
The cavalry weren’t long arriving, Josh van der Flier carried twice; Beirne picked himself off the floor to get involved again before Mack Hansen punched a further hole in the All Blacks cover.
And all this while Jamison Gibson-Park directed things intelligently, repeatedly taking the right option, as Ireland worked their way through phase after phase, eventually scoring when Sexton shaped to go out the back but instead passed short to Porter who barged his way across from five yards.
Sexton converted, Ireland had a seven-nil lead, and you wondered if this could be their night.
That hunch was reinforced by the list of things that kept going Ireland’s way. First, there was the scrum. Porter was holding his own – even if he did concede his fourth penalty on this tour later in the half.
Then there was James Ryan’s intelligent reads on Codie Taylor’s throws, spoiling the first All Blacks lineout, stealing the third. By the time Caelan Doris was winning a turnover penalty on 12 minutes, which Sexton nailed from the 10-metre line, Ireland had a 10-point lead and complete control of this game.
A period of madness undoubtedly helped, first a yellow card for All Blacks wing, Leicester Fainga’anuku, whose tackle on Mack Hansen arrived so late, dawn had nearly broken.
This time Sexton opted to go to the corner rather than the posts, a vote of confidence in his pack. Big mistake. No points came of it.
Still, Ireland were playing all the rugby. A smart piece of improvisation saw Sexton break down the touchline and just fail to get Garry Ringrose away on his inside.
Yet there was a good reason for that as Ofa Tu’ungafasi tackled the Ireland centre off the ball. It should have been a red card but referee Jaco Peyper settled for yellow.
So, down to 13 men, the All Blacks were under the pump. Credit them for some smart defence; but really you can’t be too forgiving of Ireland’s attack during this brief period when they had such a sizeable numerical advantage.
Indeed Fainga’anuku’s return coincided with Payper awarding the All Blacks a scrum, the home crowd going berserk and the Irish contingent in the 28,191 attendance holding this surreal feeling of being 10-0 up on Dunedin soil but frustrated not to be further ahead.
That sense of irritation would briefly grow. First, they lost Garry Ringrose after Ta’avao hit him with a recklessly high tackle.
A red card was inevitable, the All Blacks down to 14 for the remainder of the game, 13 temporarily. And still Ireland couldn’t score, James Lowe knocking on deep inside the All Blacks 22, the home crowd celebrating the moment as if they’d just won the game.
Panic, again, had kicked in, just as it did this time a week ago in Eden Park. Then, the All Blacks scored 21 rapid points in the ten minutes prior to half-time, here it was seven, Beauden Barrett with a fortuitous score after the ball rebounded off his foot following Taylor’s sloppy pass.
So, 10-7 to Ireland at half-time with James Ryan in the bin.
What followed after that was significant. Sexton, O’Mahony and future Ireland captain, Doris, played with experience and intelligence, opting to kick their penalties when the options were there, knowing when to turn the screw.
The game’s key score came on 48 minutes – Porter with it after van der Flier, Tadhg Furlong and Beirne had made some superb carries.
That put Ireland 10 points clear, a lead that would grow to 16 by the time Will Jordan got a consolation score two minutes from the end. By then Sexton had limped off with an injury that threatens to keep him out of the series decider. And yet even as he spoke to his players in the immediate post-match huddle, the PA announcer felt it appropriate to play Gloria Gaynor’s I will survive the perfect soundtrack to a day when Ireland kept their hopes of winning this series alive.
All Blacks scorers
Tries: Beauden Barrett, Jordan
Conversions: Jordie Barrett (1/2)
Ireland scorers
Tries: Porter 2
Conversions: Sexton (2/2)
Penalties: Sexton (3/3)
NEW ZEALAND: Jordie Barrett; Sevu Reece, Reiko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Leicester Fainga’anuku (yellow card 18-28 – Will Jordan ’48); Beauden Barrett (rep: Richie Mo’unga ’55), Aaron Smith (rep: Folau Fakatava ’60); George Bower (rep: Aidan Ross ’63), Codie Taylor (rep: Samisoni Taukei’aho ’55), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (yellow card – 25-35), Brodie Retallick (rep: Patrick Tupulotu ’43-53), Scott Barrett (Patrick Tupulotu ’73), Dalton Papalii (rep: Angus Ta’avao ’25-30 – red card 30 – Papalii rep: Pita Gus Sowakula ’68 ), Sam Cane, Ardie Savea (Aidan Ross 32)
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose (rep: Bundee Aki ’30), Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (rep: Joey Carbery ’74), Jamison Gibson Park (rep: Conor Murray ’68); Andrew Porter (rep: Cian Healy ’65), Dan Sheehan (rep: Rob Herring ’63), Tadhg Furlong (rep: Finlay Bealham ’65); James Ryan (yellow card ’38 – Kieran Treadwell ’68), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (Caelan Doris 78), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (rep: Jack Conan ’63)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
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