World Cup 2023: New Zealand eliminates Ireland after a great fight and reaches the semi-finals (24-28)

Unbreathable, magical, extraordinary… There was no shortage of adjectives at the end of the Ireland-New Zealand encounter that the All Blacks won (24-28) at the Stade de France. In a boxing battle that will remain etched in World Cup history, the New Zealanders put in an impressive performance to secure their ticket to the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup. The world's first nation, the 15th from Clover, gives everything but does not break its own glass ceiling. Ian Foster's men face Argentina in the semi-final.

Pain and tears. This is what we saw on the faces of the brave Irish at the final whistle, after the siren had sounded for several minutes. After 38 minutes of play, 5 minutes and 15 minutes of heavy hitting by the All Blacks from 22 metres, Andy Farrell's men conceded a final penalty. The most important and cruelest is at the end of the suspense, on the scratch of the eternal Sam Whitlock, who came to launch his choice, whose level we have been still doubting for a few weeks.

These black people, everyone should be afraid of them. The writers of the XXL show, Ian Foster's guys did it all. It is first and foremost their victory, not Ireland's defeat. Ideally, after returning to the match, and after an endless sequence against the green wall, Sam Keane's teammates moved in front thanks to the foot of Monga (8th place). It wasn't the only shot from the opener, as it was he who unleashed a 30-metre flight before setting up Will Jordan (53rd) in the Blacks' finest moment.

Without a clear red thread, the meeting essentially boils down to a boxing match, with the Irish and New Zealanders taking blow after blow. Defensively, the Blacks were excellent at scratching and united against the endless attacks of their opponents. But there were also big hits coming from the attack, such as the stunning effort on third-row winger Ardi Savea (33), and the imitation of his winger Vainga'anuku (19) shortly before that. On the Irish side, it was Bendy Aki (27th) on a double hook, then Gibson Park as a crook (39th) to showcase their individual talent at exploiting the slightest of flaws. Wink to these two New Zealanders.

Bold, like the numerous penalties they opted for rather than taking points, the Irish never gave up. The determined returnees from the locker room were the ones who regained possession of the ball. The control was rewarded with a penalty for a set tackle after a touch (64), one of the only ways to break the black wall, but also with a yellow card for Cody Taylor. Everything indicates, 16 minutes from the end and one point ahead of their rival (24-25), that Andy Farrell's men did the hardest part.

Instead, the All Blacks have done it again to make people forget that they are less than one person. Taking advantage of the lack of discipline associated with the fatigue of the leading country in the world, Jordie Barrett's teammates, valuable in the last penalty kick (69), took a short break. Three minutes later, the midfielder put his hand under Kelleher's ball and the attempt was not awarded. In the end, the All Blacks resisted despite Irish courage. An irresistible match and a more than symbolic victory for New Zealand. They made it to the semi-finals after knocking out who we thought were the best.