Rugby: Ireland’s historic success in New Zealand

The Irish, who were corrected last week in Auckland (42-19) by the All Blacks, reacted in the sweetest manner with a no-contest (23-12) win in Dunedin on Saturday, thus signing Clover’s first XV win on New Zealand soil.

Cut back to 14 in the 31st minute, dominating territory in the first period and then disorganized in the second, the triple world champion struggled against the Irish who had previously won in Dublin last November (29-20).

The results of the last six confrontations between the two countries show three victories all around. Therefore, the “beautiful” next Saturday in Wellington will be decisive, in the last three test matches between the two teams.

Johnny Sexton, who is flawless against the poles (100% success), will be able to celebrate his 37th birthday on Monday with the certainty of duty, who will later remember that he will thus be the first XV captain of Clover to win on All Blacks lands.

Suffice it to forget the controversy generated this week after suffering a concussion last Saturday at Eden Park, although the Leinster player was joined by Andy Farrell in Dunedin.

This meeting, marked by some indiscipline (3 yellow cards, one red), could have turned in the blacks’ favour, as the Irish missed a lot of chances in the first period.

But that won’t stop the Dublin pubs celebrating this victory erasing their first test slap in which the Blacks drove after five minutes and a try from Keith Earls, then clocked four attempts in under 20 minutes, before taking off in the second act where they added two more.

– reduced to 14 –

In Dunedin, Hakka Hakka barely, the Irish crossed the line through their column Andrew Porter, well served by winger Mac Hansen, after a breakthrough by Tadg Byrne.

In difficulty, Sam Cane’s fellows made their defense talk, intractable, and prevented the Irish from establishing their territorial dominance and numerical superiority on points.

But instead of taking advantage of this obvious advantage, the Irish constrained poor decisions, showing inaccuracies and not scoring goals. Worse, they also found themselves at the age of 14 after sending a yellow card to James Ryan.

A feature that the blacks, unlike the Irish, did not miss: on their first foray into the Irish lands, they were able to flatten it, by Bowden Barrett, before the break (7-10).

Returning from the locker room, Clover XV finally managed to score, doubling Andrew Porter (17-7, 49th place), before Sexton finally knocked out his team, unconcerned, even on the All Blacks’ second attempt, by Will Jordan, three minutes from the end.

Make way for the beautiful next Saturday.