Scrappy win for All Blacks in Dublin

Four years ago, Ireland had almost secured a famous result in Christchurch only for New Zealand to pull off a 22-19 victory thanks to Dan Carter’s late dropped goal.

Schmidt pointed out that Ireland had opportunity but were held up or dropped the ball in excellent positions.

That stunning upset broke New Zealand’s record 18-game winning streak, represented Ireland’s first triumph over the All Blacks in 111 years, and got Irish hearts thumping at the thought of achieving rare back-to-back wins against the world’s best team.

Ireland handed Kieran Read his first loss as New Zealand captain, and that made the last two weeks uncomfortable, he said.

Five tries in IL ensured the Irish painted Soldier Field green, at the end of a week which had seen the Chicago Cubs baseball team end a 108-year wait to win the World Series.

New Zealand led 7-0 after just three minutes.

The world’s best lock pairing that was missing from the infamous loss two weeks ago are back.

A good reader of the game and nearly snatched an interception try.

Revenge: Malakai Fekitoa breaks through to score as the All Blacks beat Ireland in Dublin.

Captain Rory Best, playing his 99th Test, said he had asked referee Jaco Peyper to refer New Zealand’s third try – Malakai Fekitoa’s second – to the TMO up above as he suspected there was a forward pass in the move.

Ireland: 15. Rob Kearney 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Jared Payne, 12.

Jamie Heaslip broke a tackle and fed Sean O’Brien who was stopped in his tracks but Heaslip was at it again moments later, charging through the New Zealand defence.

“Josh van der Flier was into the game early”.

With England toppling Fiji earlier in the day and New Zealand putting Italy to the sword last weekend in Rome, there was a healthy amount of skepticism about the competitiveness of worldwide rugby heading into this weekend.

As for Fekitoa’s yellow card, when he swung his arm into Zebo’s neck as the Irish winger sprinted down the left touchline, Hansen called that “sloppy play, not malicious”. Beauden Barrett, 9. Aaron Smith; 8.

Liam Squire: A solid performance. 6. Samuel Whitelock, 4. Brodie Retallick, 3. Owen Franks, 2. Dane Coles, 1. Scott Barrett, 20. Ardie Savea, 21. I don’t think there was any malice in it. I don’t think it was malicious. “We’ve got to be better than that and we’ve got to play what’s in front of us”. We’re about 6/1. Not that we are able to indulge in that.

“We tried our best and we were very close to cracking them”. Steve’s boys trained in the afternoon. It’s very tempting to pay that lip service, for it to be a cliche, “keep positive, keep attacking them, keep going at them”, but in the back of your mind you are going ‘Please, can we just hang in for 40 minutes?

Hansen said: “I don’t think so, this is a moving game.

It was a tough Test match”.

Barrett was the deserving victor of the World Rugby Player of the Year award earlier this week and he displayed his full array of skills in New Zealand’s 21-9 win.

“Are they fully confident yet?”

For the Irish there will be no repeat of forming the figure 8 – in memory of Munster coach and former No8 Anthony “Axel” Foley who died in October aged 42 – like they did in Chicago as the All Blacks performed the haka. The only thing is the Irish are a proud bunch and I doubt they will let them do that.