Ireland 13
New Zealand 23
IRELAND WALKED TOWARDS the haka, setting a defiant tone, but their challenge against the All Blacks ended with something of a whimper.
There was plenty of stern resistance from Andy Farrell’s men in defence in their opening November Test but ultimately they were well short of their best.
Their attack was nowhere near the standard they expect of themselves, rust all over their performance as they knocked on too many times in slippery conditions, as well as losing a couple of key breakdowns, and seeing their lineout pinched twice.
Ireland did score one try through Josh van der Flier during a sin-bin spell for Leinster-bound centre Jordie Barrett, but Farrell’s men didn’t do enough damage with their possession and ended up having to do a lot of energy-sapping defending as a result. A penalty count of 13 was poor too.
The All Blacks were happy to take their points throughout, out-half Damian McKenzie slotting six penalties, and they took their one try chance in clinical fashion as McKenzie directed a brilliant attack that yielded Will Jordan’s 37th try in 39 Tests.
When Ireland scored 10 points early in the second half during Barrett’s time in the bin, it looked like they might recover from a first half that featured too many sloppy moments but the Kiwis were as resilient as ever in staying in the fight and pulling ahead of Ireland.
Rieko Ioane was the man who led their haka and they battled hard for their first win in Dublin since 2016. They were helped home by a big bench impact in the final quarter as the likes of Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, and Patrick Tuipulotu made their presence felt, whereas Ireland didn’t have much impact from theirs.
It was a game that Farrell’s side never really controlled, with the Ireland boss taking out-half Jack Crowley off with a quarter still left to give Ciarán Frawley a chance.
But it was McKenzie who bossed this game, earning the player of the match award in his best Test of the season under Scott Robertson.
‘Razor’ has had an up-and-down first year with the All Blacks but this was a big performance and result. Ireland must go back to the drawing board before welcoming Argentina to the Aviva Stadium next weekend.
Kick-off was a minute late with all the pre-match theatre and both teams took their time to settle into the contest.
Andrew Porter looked alert from the off, though, as he blocked down a Cortez Ratima box kick and forced a knock-on from Will Jordan as he followed up. Ireland spilled the ball forward on their first visit into the Kiwi 22 but had the lead after eight minutes when Jordie Barrett was penalised for obstructing the Irish kick chase. Crowley made it 3-0.
The visitors were soon level, Ratima breaking through a Finlay Bealham tackle after initially dropping the ball backwards. Ireland scrambled but then Bealham was pinged for not rolling clear at the breakdown and Damian McKenzie slotted the three points.
There was more attacking frustration for Ireland in the arm wrestle that followed for the remainder of the first half, Aki knocking on as space beckoned in front of him, All Blacks flanker Wallace Sititi making a breakdown poach, and Kiwi locks Tupou Vaa’i and Scott Barrett both stealing Irish lineouts on the halfway line.
Yet the Irish defence was aggressive and proactive, Garry Ringrose hammering public enemy number one Ioane at one stage, while Jamison Gibson-Park, Josh van der Flier, and Aki made crucial tackles at various stages.
But their lack of attacking success meant they had to soak up lots of pressure and it looked like they might crack in the 27th minute as the All Blacks kicked into the left corner, only for hooker Asafo Aumua to throw into the lineout crooked.
The Kiwis still got three points as Ireland were free-kicked for Gibson-Park not feeding into the scrum quickly enough, but Farrell’s men were soon down the other end.
Again, they left frustrated. This time, Ratima was blessed to get away with what looked like an illegal steal at a breakdown metres from his own line, allowing the Kiwis to kick clear.
The All Blacks nudged 9-3 in front via more pressure in the Irish 22, narrowing up their ball-carrying to good effect as referee Nic Berry warned Ireland captain Caelan Doris about the mounting penalty count in his side’s defensive territory.
But Ireland had the final say in the first half and it was a big one. Aki made inroads off a lineout and offloaded to Ringrose before Jordie Barrett connected with him shoudler-to-head. A quick TMO review and Berry showed the Kiwi centre a yellow and sent the incident for a bunker review.
Crowley kicked the three points to leave Ireland 9-6 behind at the break, as Barrett anxiously awaited the verdict from foul play review officer Ben Whitehouse.
There was relief for Barrett with confirmation that he would return from the sin bin but New Zealand had a disastrous start to the second half as they were done for obstruction from the kick-off, inviting Ireland to kick into the left corner.
The Kiwis pinched the ball back from the maul as Kelleher looked to offload out of it, but that left Sam Cane in a tough spot – Aki and James Lowe hammered him over his own tryline for a five-metre scrum.
And finally, Ireland were clinical. Doris made a huge carry off the base, Ringrose, Ryan, Porter, and Beirne followed before van der Flier produced an explosive, ruthless finish through Tamaiti Williams, Sititi and Ratima. Crowley converted for 13-9.
But the away side were back within a point quickly, hooker Aumua making a great breakdown turnover and McKenzie successful with his shot at goal again. Barrett returned from the bin.
After the efficient start to the half with the van der Flier score, Ireland returned to their sloppier ways as McCarthy and Crowley spilt the ball forward on two consecutive attacks.
As Farrell cut a frustrated figure in the coaching box, Ireland fans sensed their team needed a lift and launched into the first rendition of ‘The Fields’ of the night.
The Kiwis were close to nudging back in front in the 57th minute when Ryan and Bealham failed to roll clear of a tackle.
From 45 metres out, McKenzie hit the right post and Ireland’s one-point lead was intact.
Farrell responded by sending on four of his bench options, including out-half Ciarán Frawley.
It was the Kiwi replacement props, Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Pasilio Tosi, who had an immediate impact, helping their team to a scrum penalty as Berry pinged Bealham – just back on after an injury for his replacement Tom O’Toole – for “stepping out and straight across.”
McKenzie’s shot sent the visitors 15-13 in front and Ireland continued to err in attack as sub lock Iain Henderson knocked on a Frawley pass to his back shoulder. From the ensuing possession, New Zealand surged downfield and Henderson gave up a penalty for not releasing at the breakdown.
McKenzie gladly took the three again. Ireland trailed by five with 15 minutes to go.
They needed to find accuracy and energy. Instead, their defence finally cracked.
The Kiwis flooded forward, sniffing blood. They swept the ball wide to the right where Savea sent wing Mark Tele’a hurtling towards the line only for Hugo Keenan to stop him short. New Zealand simply swung the ball all the way to the left, McKenzie throwing a beauty of a pass to allow Aumua to send Jordan over to score untouched.
McKenzie couldn’t convert but Ireland were in a hole at 23-13 and a Frawley knock-on under the high ball only added to the gloom.
It was a long Lowe kick that lifted it. He hammers the ball from just outside his own 22 all the way down into the Kiwis’, a stunning 50:22 kick.
But as Ireland searched for a way back in, Savea pounced for another Kiwi breakdown turnover.
Fans started heading for the exits before the final whistle sounded.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Josh van der Flier
Conversions: Jack Crowley [1 from 1]
Penalties: Jack Crowley [2 from 2]
New Zealand scorers:
Tries: Will Jordan
Conversions: Damian McKenzie [0 from 1]
Penalties: Damian McKenzie [6 from 7]
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose (Jamie Osborne ’70), Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Jack Crowley (Ciarán Frawley ’58), Jamison Gibson-Park (Conor Murray ’74); Andrew Porter (Cian Healy ’74), Rónan Kelleher (Rob Herring ’58), Finlay Bealham (Tom O’Toole ’58 – reversal ’60); Joe McCarthy (Iain Henderson ’58), James Ryan (Peter O’Mahony ’70); Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain).
NEW ZEALAND: Will Jordan; Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett (yellow card ’40 to ’51), Caleb Clarke (Anton Lienert-Brown ’70); Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima (Cam Roigard ’51); Tamaiti Williams (Ofa Tu’ungafasi ’60), Asafo Aumua (George Bell ‘), Tyrel Lomax (Pasilio Tosi ’60); Scott Barrett (captain), Tupou Vaa’i (Patrick Tuipulotu ’58); Wallace Sititi, Sam Cane (Samipeni Finau ’73), Ardie Savea.
Replacement not used: Stephen Perofeta
Referee: Nic Berry [Rugby Australia].
- This article was updated at 11.04am to correct Damian McKenzie’s penalty tally.
My god, Ciaran Frawleys cameo was one of the worst I’ve ever seen in an Irish jersey. The last time a replacement 10 played that bad it was Billy Burns and he was never seen in an Irish jersey again
@5sZl1dX2: What about the other 22 players? They were great?
@Con Cussed: no but Frawley was especially crap. Henderson, Healy, Murray and POM should be nowhere near an Irish squad
@Con Cussed: Doris is not a leader either. Shocking discipline
@5sZl1dX2: It’s definitely time to invest in sam prendergast after another two failed auditions from the other two.
@Kevin Dillon: Prendergast would be eaten alive playing at that level. Have Leinster fans not learnt anything? Harry, Ross and Ciaran Frawley have all been hyped to the hilt over the last couple of years and all turned out to be duds. I’m not saying Prendergast won’t get to that level but he’s a long, long way off it now
@5sZl1dX2: load of rubbish as usual from you, why do you think your guy was taken off
@Robbie: if you think Frawley played better than Crowley, I’d suggest an eyeball transplant and lobotomy
@5sZl1dX2: why do you think he was taken off
@Robbie: by that logic, any player that’s taken off is playing badly. Joe McCarthy came off for Henderson. Henderson was terrible but does that mean he was still better than McCarthy?
@5sZl1dX2: Have you forgotten his cameo against S.A in July ? Frawley didn’t lose the game tonight, in fact when he came on he speeded the tempo up. Ireland were undercooked and underperformed full stop against an ordinary NZ team.
@Sean Lenihan: have you forgotten Ireland were actually leading when Frawley came onto the pitch? Two Hail Mary drop goals don’t make a player.
@Sean Lenihan: it’s ok to say Frawley was poor. Two direct knock ones, two passes that forced knock ons and a couple of passes to nowhere in 25 mins is poor, there’s no other way to dress it up
@5sZl1dX2: Obviously you are an anti Leinster lad. Maybe look more at home why Munster have no props or centres.
@Tom Reilly: I’ve no problem discuss Munster issues, on a Munster article. See you around
I like frawley rate him highly but he wasn’t up to much when he came on, I understand mixing it up but Crowley was very solid and he was noticeably annoyed that they brought him off.
@Comeonyouknow: because he contributed very little
@Comeonyouknow: Crowley is undoubtedly a good footballer, but he made no plays tonight, he doesn’t lead from 10 in the way that Sexton did, in the way that Frawley did in the second test against S.A, in the way a 10 has to lead to beat the best. Maybe he will in time.
@Sean Lenihan: Frawley is not an international 10 and a few drop goals is not going to change that. He killed us tonight with his mistakes
@Emmet Martin: Killed us tonight ??? he was the cause of 13 penalties? He was brutal at the line outs ?? What’s the main issue here – Frawley didn’t go to the right school ?
@Sean Lenihan: ok lie steer relax he was bad tbf
@Sean Lenihan: you have to win the battle up front to allow a 10 to be master. Ireland were on top and seemed be dominant at the beginning of the second half and looked like scoring a second try but their discipline let them down with the amount of penalties conceded thereafter. Very ring rusty and I think we now have lost our unbeaten run we should go into transition and make some major changes. We need to plan and play to our strengths and bring on the youth….
@Sean Lenihan: his mistakes killed our momentum when we were trying to generate some in the second half. Plenty made mistakes but he coughed up possession 4/5 times. That’s a killer in a stop start game.
Possibly worst Irish performance of the Andy Farrell era.
@Cg: Definitly
@Cg: Agree
@Cg: agreed but it’s a very high bar
Ireland needed a warm up game prior to this. Shocking performance.
@Con Cussed: this is what you get new Zealand got a warm up game v England at the beginning. Penalties cost them and sloppiness to
@sean o’farrell: Agreed. We lost our way as they thought they could walk over NZ.
@Con Cussed: Yea, just too sloppy for a game of this grandeur, sort of mad to expect a flawless victory in a first run out. NZ in fairness were sloppy too but got the rub of decisions, battle hardend trumps freshness.
Not a Sharpe performance from Ireland… AB,s well tuned for the game and good games under their belt. I don’t know why Crowley was changed out? Frawley had a nightmare.
Probably a good lesson for Ireland in selection. Farrell has had great success in sticking with his tried and tested squad to date, but sometimes picking players on form is necessary. Many in-form players in the URC / Emerging Ireland Tour – Stockdale, Prendergast (x2), Izuchuckwu to name a few, were overlooked for this game in favour of players who have been far from
best this season. Hopefully we see a freshened up outfit next week.
@Ross Elwood: Agreed, new blood needed
The ABs had 7 changes from yh RWC QF. The majority of their team today will probably at the next RWC. The majority of the Irish team will be near the next WC. It is clear now that too much loyalty is being shown to old timers who have served us well but are now past it. Some serious rebuilding is required and it should start now.
@cge1957: key comment that will be ignored by most on here. Most people still think Murray, POM and Henderson should be in the 23
@cge1957: I’ve been saying the exact same thing for years. Kearny, Best and even BOD to name a few where all past their best but still in the starting 15 time and time again. It’s harder to get dropped sometimes with Ireland.
Healy is a prime example of a once great player who offers very little now but blocks a younger player from being in the squad and gaining valuable experience.
No captain. POM missed big time. How Ireland let ref NZ close line-out is really dreadful. Ì
I do like to see this.
SA supporters have been copping flack for losing a game by a point to “the number one team in the world”.
Now the “number one team in the world” lost a game by 10 at home to a team SA beat twice, actually four times in a row.
Nevertheless, we all know rugby does not work that way…
Lest it be said I am being obtuse.
Just remember this the next time you chime in with “number one team in the world”.
Protecting the ball at the ruck seems to be a major problem for Irish teams at the moment. I lost count of the amount of penalties and turnovers at the breakdown. Yes the backs dropped the ball several times but the forwards were absolutely dire (VDF excepted he was excellent). The usual Irish problems – missed tackles, lost line outs, scrum penalties, not rolling away. The Goodman attack was the useless Leinster attack from last year. Picking 2 hookers and Frawley who haven’t played in ages was a huge error. A word of advice for Andy Farrell: pay attention to the weather forecast.
Argentina next week: lads yo need to get your act together. So,e of the refereeing was awful, though.
@PatN: For me, many of the balls squirting out of the rucks were due to kiwi dark arts. The officials missed it, and Doris could/should have done more to draw attention to it. NZ closing the gap at the lineout was another area where Doris could have managed his relationship with the referee better. He’s green as a captain but he’ll improve.
Jesus, that was awful. 6 or 7 players offered nothing. Only being able to get into the starting 15 through injury is a bad. Line out is so bad for over a year. If O’Connell wasn’t a legend he’d be sacked by now. Pathetic attempt at keeping your unbeaten record at home. That’s the worst it’s been since QF 2019
To all those fans and pundits calling NZ a shadow of themselves , a team that can be taken with no issues, and we’ll put 10 or 20 on them, well there you go……
@Stuart: that was just ray talking nonsense as usual. New Zealand are new Zealand and have been playing together for last number of.months. ireland were always going to find it hard to get some rhythm going. Couldn’t event get to 5 phases.
Terrible game, terrible performance, terrible ref who looked at one team only but that doesn’t excuse Irelands worst performance in years. Replacements were very poor particularly Frawley. Doris needs to communicate with refs better especially when we are getting burned. So many knockons – a shocking start for Goodman. I seriously think we need to give more players a go and look towards the next world cup rather than the next game. Worst NZ team I have seen just beat us comfortably
Shocking performance
That was depressing stuff, on that form ireland be lucky to be 5th in the world.
Next week I hope Farrell makes real changes to the team (Baird, cormac I, timony, henshaw, Nash, Casey and predergast should be included in the 23). We need a refresh.
@Donal Connolly: Farrell is the most conservative selector I’ve seen coach Ireland. There’ll be 20 of the 23 that played tonight in the squad next week at least
@5sZl1dX2: usual rubbish from, do you ever say anything constructive
@Robbie: Christ you’re some spastic.
@5sZl1dX2: obviously you’re referring to yourself, the biggest troll on here with zero positive to say
@Robbie: says the gimp following me around post to post. Go play in traffic
@5sZl1dX2: Harry Barry what a laugh you are why don’t you try and sort your own lot out instead of commentating on real rugby players
@Robbie: real rugby players? You mean lads like Doris that goes missing when the going gets tough? Or lads like James Lowe celebrating a turnover when Ireland were 10 points down like he was after winning the World Cup? I’m alright thanks. No need to reply. I won’t be acknowledging any more comments from an ape like you
@5sZl1dX2: obviously you have lost the argument when you have to resort to insults, typical from a low life like you
@5sZl1dX2: Wow 3 insults in 3 replys
Ireland’s biggest nemesis strikes again, the rain… was awful in the WC warm ups in it and the bench showed AF thought we’d be ahead come 60 mins but couldn’t put any attacking shapes together. Sexton’s successors were terrible, POM and Osborne did nothing and Henderson a big negative
@Andrew Slazenger: would you ever get lost they came on when the game was gone they couldn’t win sitting on the bench
@Brian Gallivan: Henderson came on with 20 mins left and 3 points in it, hardly irrelevant
@Andrew Slazenger: get a grip Henderson wasn’t responsible for this failure!
@Keno: Obviously I’m not saying he was solely responsible for the defeat, simply questioning that playing a 32 year on the bench in this kind of game was an error – NZ and others are building depth for the next WC, hard to say we are
@Andrew Slazenger: Crowley did little wrong and we had no platform when he was on. Lineout and scrum under pressure meant little attacking possession. Didn’t shoot the lights out but nailed his basics. Frawley had a nightmare and his mistakes coughed up 4 or 5 turnovers.
@Andrew Slazenger: Hendy was the fourth youngest on the bench!
@Justin Robinson: Yeh mad and that I feel is the issue!
Disappointed we didn’t adapt our tactics. Clearly we could not put together multi phase attack due to our poor passing and t1ts for hands. I’m all for backing our skills but on a night like this when things are not working and it’s wet, put the ball into the corners and grind out the win. Also the lineout is grim viewing. For the entire 1st half we left the ABs close the gap at the lineout and none of our forwards tried to highlight the issue to the ref or resolve it themselves. Also to end the game with herring throwing the ball to the ABs as not a single irish player was lifted just sums up the night
@Scott: You’d usually expect a team to contest a lineout on their own throw!
Joe Mc Carthy…. Dreadful performance. No where near International standard. Hard”Soft” boy!!
@Shane OHanrahan: Rubbish
@Robbie: he wasn’t dreadful but he does mix the good with the bad. Ryan was anonymous though. Get Beirne back in to the second row. Lineout remains a disaster.
That game is over, the big concern now is the rest of the series. Argentina are next and we are up against a battle hardened team with loads of history between us, who beat both S.A and N.Z in recent Rugby Championship. AND Joe Schmidt will analyse this performance to bits and the Aussies have nothing to lose in the last game.
Did I miss all the pre-match theatre Murray? The Haka was fine but it took ages for Pres Higgins to shake hands with everyone before taking his place on the Ireland subs bench.
Rusty ,it was a tough ask considering the ABs and a few games under their belt ,we always start slow
First defeat in 8 years in the autum series i allways taught AB would win scoreline flattered us we played poor mistakes etc but tis early yet we are still a top side i taugh the ref was shocking
Those not rolling away penalties are frustrating. You just have to wriggle and squirm a little to show the ref you’re trying but a couple of our lads just lay there like logs…
Yeah, Frawley wasn’t great, but he’s still very, very raw at 10, let alone International 10. I’d rather see these lads get a run now and learn than against Italy in the 6n or the month before a WC.
Wow reading all these comments, there is an over-reaction to a loss. Yes, we were not good but I can see us turning it around and being back to ourselves next week. Farrell will let these boys redeem themselves and rightly so.
Funny how nobody’s saying ‘it’s only a friendly’ now Ireland have lost. Whereas that would have been said multiple times had Ireland won. November Internationals are a case of damned if you, damned if you don’t.
@Conor Lynott: Nobody ever says that with rugby union. Not sure what you are on about. There are no friendlies in this sport.
@Conor Lynott: it is a friendly. It doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter if they won either. Ireland a bang average team.
Frawley mercurial like russel
The ref killed us at the breakdown – simple as that!
@Keno: the breakdown was a bit of a mess alright . Didn’t think nic berry was great at the breakdown or some of the scrum calls (some very harsh decisions against Ireland with some of those penalties. Did think Ireland got away with murder with players flopping all over the rucks slowing NZ ball down and not rolling away quickly..overall thought Ireland were good in the first half and 10 minutes into the second but can’t argue NZ were better with most of the momentum that seemed to swing their way most of the time ..Ireland will be better next week against a determined argies…
Defo ring rusty…
Jaysus Sexton trying to give the young lads the slip so they don’t take his crown!