All Blacks: Deny Irish at the death
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Ireland turned up the heat in freezing conditions to push New Zealand all the way, before eventually succumbing to a 22-19 defeat in Christchurch on Saturday.
With the scores level at 19-19 and one minute remaining in the match, All Blacks pivot Dan Carter broke Irish hearts with a last-gasp drop goal to win the game and the series.
It was a valiant effort from the visitors, who led the world champions by one point (9-10) at half-time, but were left playing catch-up following an early try to Aaron Smith two minutes after the break.
But the men in green managed to claw their way back and when All Blacks full-back Israel Dagg was yellow-carded in the 72nd minute, Ireland were presented with a golden opportunity to retake the lead from 49m out.
However, Jonathan Sexton's attempt had the direction but not the distance as the ball fell agonisingly short. From there the hosts put themselves into a position to set up Carter for the match-winning drop.
His first attempt off his right boot, however, clipped an Irish hand and sailed wide. But Carter wouldn't miss the second attempt, and this time - off his left foot - sent the ball between the sticks.
Jubilation for the All Blacks, heartbreak for the brave Irish.
Declan Kidney's troops had promised they would up the intensity after being run off the park a week ago and they were certainly true to their word as the visitors - roared on by dozens of Irish fans - threatened to snaffle their first-ever Test win over the All Blacks in their 26th attempt.
Ireland supporters would have been choking on their Guinness after looking at the scoreboard to see the visitors 10-0 ahead in the opening quarter of the match thanks to an early try from Conor Murray and the boot of Sexton.
Ireland made the most of an early line-out close to New Zealand's line with brilliant effect, mauling the ball superbly before Murray - despite having no blindside support - made a dart to get the ball over for the try. Sexton added the conversion and nine minutes later he added his first penalty.
The All Blacks were able to put their first points on the board through a Carter penalty in the 21st minute. As in the first Test, Ireland went off the boil when the game headed into the second quarter and as New Zealand's intensity grew, the home side forced errors at the breakdown. This allowed Carter to add two more three-pointers that closed the gap even further.
The number ten had a chance to put his team in front on the stroke of half-time, but his fourth penalty attempt didn't have the legs and allowed Ireland to head into the half-time sheds 10-9 ahead.
That lead lasted just two minutes after the resumption before Smith grabbed his first Test try after a burst from Sonny Bill Williams. Williams crashed into the Ireland pack and as the All Blacks piled in, their livewire scrum-half was driven over the line for the try that Carter duly converted.
Any thoughts that the floodgates might open as they did in Auckland seven days ago, were dispelled as Ireland rallied with Sexton adding his second penalty in another strong attacking period that had the All Blacks scrambling to make try-saving tackles.
But with that storm weathered, the momentum again swung the other way and Carter's fourth penalty extended New Zealand's lead to 19-13.
Ireland then came back with two more Sexton penalties levelling the scores to set up a dramatic finale.
Pressure mounted on New Zealand as Adam Thomson joined Kieran Read on the injured list, leaving them only two specialist loose forwards. Dagg's sin-binning for a late charge on Rob Kearney didn't help matters either for the hosts.
But at 19-all and a man down, the All Blacks rallied one last time and fittingly, Carter - a Canterbury local - was there to hold his nerve and seal the outcome.
Man of the match: For New Zealand, Dan Carter was obviously the man of the moment thanks to his match-winning drop-goal. But it's hard to look past the gallant Irish who silenced their critics with a superb effort that came within fractions of the most famous Irish win in history against the world champions. And it's for that reason why we've opted for a collective award to the entire Ireland team.
Moment of the match: With 40 seconds of the match remaining, it has to be Carter's winning drop goal.
Villain of the match: Israel Dagg's brain implosion that so nearly cost his team defeat.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Try: A Smith
Con: Carter
Pens: Carter 4
Drop: Carter
For Ireland:
Try: Murray
Con: Sexton
Pens: Sexton 4
Yellow card: Dagg, 72 mins (New Zealand, foul play)
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Zac Guildford, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Ben Smith.
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip. 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Dan Tuohy, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Declan Fitzpatrick, 18 Donncha O'Callaghan, 19 Peter O'Mahony, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Simon Zebo.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
By Dave Morris
Comments
adamk says...
In terms of interest a draw would've made the final game a tad more interesting.
Posted 18:10 16th June 2012
sextons_on_fire says...
@makemehappy Enough of your whining hahahaha...I should also have mentioned that, not just the players, but Leinster fans are commonly subjected to abuse and name-calling by Munster trolls on this forum - for example, "D4", "bandwagon", "plastic fan" "ladyboy", and so on. Now you're getting your knickers in a twist over one insult thrown back their way and calling for me to be banned? Pull the other one hahahahahaa. It's a bit of banter, sunshine. You need to grow thicker skin LOL
@editor By makemehappy's criteria, you will have to ban a whole lot of the posters on this site, not just me. There's no need for a knee-jerk reaction just to make "makemehappy" happy hahahahaha BOOM
The editor says.... sextons_on_fire: We prefer people to make insightful comments about rugby here. Leave the 'banter', as you call it, and the cheap insults for the playground.
Posted 17:19 16th June 2012
BillyMutt2 says...
Pretty hard to hear anything real about rugby through the cacophony of idiotic troll posts here. Clearly the vast majority of these posters are delusional fanatics who don't know much about the rules of rugby, but take great satisfaction in calling the other team cheats, and worse.
It's almost not worth the effort of typing anything to post on here anymore, which is a sad reflection on a great rugby website.
Anyway, hats off to the Irish team for stepping and making a real game of it. Fact is, though, that the class of the All Blacks and their ability to pull games out of the fire is what make them the No. 1 team in the world, and RWC champions. They showed that again tonight. I think the ABs were definitely over-confident going into the match - next week will likely be a different story.
Over to the idiot trolls again.
Posted 17:11 16th June 2012
Rosbif says...
@Toulousain. Funny, as a fellow Frenchman, I had some similar feelings! Mind you, at least the interviewer didn't get BOD's name wrong at the end, and the ABs didn't do a "victory haka". Despite a clearly physical game, there seemed to be genuine warmth/respect btw the players after the whistle....everyone except Ali Williams maybe hehehe....
PS. with Read and Cane playing so well, whisper it gently, but how long till McCaw starts running out at 6?....and then what happens when Kaino is fit again?
Posted 16:59 16th June 2012
Stag says...
Kinsman, I was at that game in '91. Stood on the north terrace. Where you the guy booing when Lynagh was kicking?
Posted 16:40 16th June 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Well it was great to be wrong. This was an Irish team playing with a passion that we haven't seen since their victory over Australia in the W/C. I felt sure the A/Bs would walk away with this one, but they were lucky to pull one out of the hat. As for poor Irish supporters, I haven't seen that one. I've been in the middle of Ulsterman, Leinstermen and Munstermen and the whole lot in together I've never had anything but a great day. The only time they go a bit ape is when they play one another, just look at the acid comments in these pages over the years. N/Z supporters a bit like all supporters of great teams tend to attract some arrogant s...s. A Kiwi friend of mine whose accent has been diluted over the years says he gets taken for a Pom sometimes back in NZ and is getting lectured before he can blink, about how great they are and how crap the N/H sides are especially England. Who needs it. Nobody is whiter than white especially the Blacks.
Posted 16:38 16th June 2012
J_HDK says...
@kinsman
I guarantee that was more to do with you holding up your flag obstructing the view of 25 people behind you rather than anything to do with what was on the flag. ;)
I nearly decked another Irish supporter sitting in the row front of me because he kept on standing up blocking my view 70% of the pitch of the last Irl V NZ match in Dublin.
Posted 16:02 16th June 2012
makemehappy says...
@Carpelone - the injury was really just a secondary point with my argument. Might have been good once he'd realised his mistake that he changed his mind, but refs are just too pigheaded sadly.
Posted 15:46 16th June 2012
Sheridan says...
@Sextonsonfire, you truly are a world class idiot, keep it up though 'cos your embarressing all the other true Leinster/rugby fans out there. ( yes i know i'm 'feeding the troll')
Posted 15:17 16th June 2012
makemehappy says...
Editor - I trust that you will now ban sextons_on_fire. It is not acceptable to call people t***s on here. We may not like comments and we can argue until we are blue in the face, but this guy is obviously a sad rude idiot. I didn't originally request that he be banned, but simply asked for an apology. He laughed at this and is laughing at you too sadly. Please support this request, as we can't have idiots like him on this site.
@sextons_on_fire - there is nothing wrong with banter and complaining when people behave badly. Do give as good as you get, but sorry mate you've just been plain rude and over stepped the mark. Bye I hope!
Posted 15:09 16th June 2012
startledwombat says...
The drop-kick in the Antipodes went out of favour after the second test between Wales and Australia, Sydney 1978, where the drop-goal that won the match and the series for Australia actually went under the crossbar but was awarded by the (local) referee.
It wasn't outlawed, it just kinda became embarrassing, so there was this sort of unspoken consensus...
Well played tonight Ireland!
Posted 15:06 16th June 2012
kpe12 says...
My observation as a Kiwi supporter.
Entertaining game. Irish did well to dot down and go ahead by 10 in the first 20mins, bounce of the ball and momentum and calls (rightly so as the attacking team) went their way.
After the ABs went 10 down the AB forwards got stuck in (and probably won the game here), bruising pick and go. Clinical restarts (how good is that Carter -> Read restart every time). The yards the ABs make through their forwards is incredible, if only Ritchie would stop knocking it on.
10-9 was probably a fair reflection of the half, could have been either team leading at half time, but one key point is the number of missed tackles. ABs - 0 and number of tackles made (I believe Ireland were 2:1). This plays a huge part in the last 10 mins of games.
ABs controlled the first and last 10 mins of the second half, two of the most critical periods in a rugby game. That yellow card and the Irish momentum from the 50th min - 70th min would have broken almost any team, but almost all the ABs stayed calm (get rid of Ali Williams already, what a tool).
Full credit to the Irish to bring the game back to level, unfortunately they never really threatened the line after their opening try, the ABs defense is immense, easily the best in the world and luckily they can rely on it to win games when the backs are not clicking. Some people say they cheat, but rucks are near impossible to rule to the letter of the law because there are ALWAYS people sealing off, going off their feet, joining from the side etc. The reason why the ABs get so much grief from trolls on sites like this is because they get to the breakdown quick and clear out hard. I'm not saying every turnover is 100% legit, but you make your chances/luck/success greater when you get to the breakdown faster 7 times out of 10 all night long.
The better team won, but it wasn't pretty. Full credit to the Irish.
Posted 15:04 16th June 2012
kinsman says...
@stag
In Dublin for the 1991 RWC SF I had my life repeatedly threatened from random strangers due to the fact the NZ flag around my shoulders contained a Union Jack in the corner. It got to the point that my GF and I had to leave the centre of Dublin and head back to the outskirts where we were staying with friends. Once we left the central Dublin rugby supporters behind, normality returned and I will happily concede the people encountered in Finglas (sic) were some of the friendliest I have had the fortune to meet. Getting a Guinness was simple, paying for it myself became almost impossible.
16 years later, I recall exiting the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in October 2007 with a large number of very magnanimous Frenchmen who were stunned and delighted in victory but behaving with utter humility. This contrasted greatly with an also considerable number of Irishmen who had thought their side would be playing in the same stadium that day. These supporters offered nothing other than nasty and vitriolic abuse to all New Zealand supporters they encountered. In my experience of supporting New Zealand in the majority of their Northern Hemisphere games over the last 20 years, that was the worst I have experienced, and from supporters whose team was not even playing that day.
In fact if you want a true indicator as to my disgust at the behaviour by a lot more than one Irishman that evening. From that day, I support every side without exception against Ireland and that includes England, Australia and South Africa.
I assure you, I have seen a lot of poor NZ supporters over the years and have been quite embarrassed on numerous occasions. I have however, never seen them behave in the manner I have seen Irish supporters act.
The Irish like to market themselves as 'just there for the craic' I have found that for Irish rugby supporters, this is some pretty false advertising.
Posted 15:03 16th June 2012
Toulousain says...
As a neutral Frenchman, this match brought back some painful memories of the RWC final. Ire came as close as Fra did that night, if not closer. Shame there had to be a loser. A draw would have been fine. But also shows how the ABs really know how to grab a game. ABs were never behind vs Fra in that RWC final. But if they had been, with 3 minutes to go, who's to say they would not have done the same as tonight?
It doesn't make the ABs popular with everyone, as we can see from some of these posts. It's the same with Toulouse in France, or Leinster in Europe. When you dominate, many people are against you. But, oooolala, you can't argue with the collective determination and precision when it really matters.
Posted 14:27 16th June 2012
GoldCoastK1w1 says...
@ Blametheref - cannot wheel scrum by pulling back on 1 side and angling in on the other. Wheel must be a result of good pressure from a dominant pack for the feed to change. Decision was correct. Learn your rules and open your eyes.
Posted 14:23 16th June 2012
GoldCoastK1w1 says...
Why is it that there is always some idiot that thinks if Carter slots a droppy to win a tight one in the 79th minute ( only 5 in how many years? ) it excuses the boring drop goal from halfway only 20 minutes into a game style of SA rugby. Big difference here guys.
Posted 14:08 16th June 2012
blametheref says...
For the next game I hope Ireland mix the selection up a bit and D'Arcy is fit, as NZ will definitley do their homework, we may see Nonu starting or on the bench, where I was amazed he wasn't today to come on and cause problems.
The next match will be intriguing as Ireland really have to take great confidence from and build on this positive momentum. Ireland can win the next test if we don't have more key injuries and we are tactically clever and don't resort to type, which is our frustrating inability to put in good back to back performances
Posted 13:57 16th June 2012
BackingBlackNZ says...
I am a die hard All Blacks supporter, but the Irish were immense tonight. They put in a fantastic performance across the board - they disrupted the AB's gameplan, and played with a lot of passion and positivity.
I was going to say that the Irish were very unlucky not to win tonight, but as I sit back and think about things dispassionately, it would be more fair to say that the Irish had their opportunities when the ABs were reduced to 14 men with 8 mins to go, but they chose a couple of wrong options (like kicking the ball to the ABs when they had possession), and the ABs did well to claw back territory with 14 men and seal the win. There can be no doubt, if there ever was, that Dan Carter is the best first five eighths in world rugby.
Posted 13:56 16th June 2012
Carpelone says...
Nigel Owens had a very good game (scrum 3 min to go apart).
@ makemehappy. I think he realised after he blew that Thomson was injured.
The focus today should be on Ireland monumental effort. Very well done again, lads, will toast later today with some precious remaining drops of my favourite Bushmills.
This game proved again that rugby is not an individual effort, as soon as Kidney relied on the Leinster's core, Ireland improved.
Pity that Kidney has not spotted yet that the best half back combination is Reddan/Sexton.
Impressed by Sexton, he is a leader and defensively was enormous, especially with a rush defence solo effort which frustrated a potential try scoring attack in the second half.
Pity, lads, you nearly made my day.
Posted 13:48 16th June 2012
tha_mai says...
blametheref says....What really won in Wellington today
won what??? no rugby I'm aware of; right country, wrong island, wrong city.
Christchurch (the one with the earthquakes)
Posted 13:46 16th June 2012