For Ireland supporters of a sensitive disposition, look away now. Sifting through the scraps of a disappointing 26-13 defeat to New Zealand at Soldier Field in Chicago there is very little palatable; crumbs of comfort were not so much difficult but impossible to find in trawling through the New Zealand media.
One writer suggested that with the All Blacks’ three victories in succession that the rivalry had returned to its former one-sided New Zealand dominance. Not that Scott Robertson’s side was universally showered with compliments. Two struggling teams in a low-quality game wasn’t an uncommon tone.
Winston Aldworth writing in the New Zealand Herald ran a critical, and very much so in some cases, eye over Ireland in the player ratings. Without prejudice here are his lowest and highest marks in a review in which many Irish players got five or less out of 10.
“Tadhg Beirne 1: His technique in that hit on Beauden Barrett was terrible. The 20-minute sanction was a reasonable punishment. The defence that he wasn’t expecting the runner is lame. The whole idea of attacking in rugby is to catch defenders unaware and if you’re not expecting a ball-runner, what are you doing on the field, mate?
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“Jamison Gibson-Park 8: Best halfback on show (until the final quarter), and for a while there he was possibly the best Kiwi on show as well. JGP was crucial to Ireland’s early survival then brief dominance, picking runners well and kicking with brains and heft. Terrific on game management and distribution but lacks the cutting run of Roigard.”
Liam Napier, also in the NZ Herald, under the heading ‘Spooked by the ghost of the past’ wrote: “A belated, decisive final-quarter flourish exorcised the All Blacks’ demons in Chicago to preserve their quest to clinch a Grand Slam tour.
“Returning to Chicago on Halloween weekend, nine years after their first loss to Ireland at the same Soldier Field venue, the New Zealand side appeared spooked by the ghost of the past. For much of this 26-13 win, the All Blacks produced an error-riddled and ill-disciplined performance.
“Ireland were well short of their best, too, but they did enough to feast on the All Blacks’ mistakes and lead for 60 minutes.”
‘Injury toll sets platform for young guns to shine’ proclaimed the headline over Gregor Paul’s analysis. “For the first time in the Scott Robertson era, there was a sense of the All Blacks not being inhibited or exclusively wedded to a heavily prescribed pattern, and instead they abandoned order to operate with a free spirit and grant themselves a licence to riff as they saw fit.
“Having tapped into quite the rich vein of expressionism, the confidence will have soared within the team that they can play the ball-in-hand, fluid rugby they aspire to, but some words of caution are required as the Irish, the highest-ranked of the Home Unions the All Blacks will face on tour, looked a little frayed and devoid of energy and good ideas, and tougher challenges await in the UK.
‘Two sides lacking confidence’ was a headline in Midi Olympique. Frederic Bernes pointed to the general lack of quality in the game between two sides, pitchy in their tone. “Nine years after Ireland’s first victory against the All Blacks, the revenge match in Chicago on Saturday night went in favour of the New Zealanders (26-13), who nevertheless only dominated in the last 20 minutes.
“In a way, this American rematch was less a clash between the world’s No 2 and 3 teams than a contest between two sides lacking confidence for several months. In a match that never reached any great heights, each team had its moment, but only one secured its revenge.”
Stuff.co.nz collected a straw poll consensus of opinion from former players turned pundits on the Tadhg Beirne 20-minute red card under the heading ‘Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne shown a controversial red card in All Blacks test in Chicago’. In shorthand terms, no one supported the decision.
Paul Cully writing in The Post gave the last rites to New Zealand versus Ireland as a genuine rugby rivalry under the heading ‘All Blacks now really have Ireland’s number’. “One of the All Blacks’ great rivalries over the past decade might be coming to an end,” pointing out that three wins in succession and an ever-widening gap on the scoreboard has restored the All Blacks’ dominance to the relationship.
Ireland will have to wait until next summer to answer that accusation.
