Green with Envy

By Aiden McLaughlin

Where to begin. Eden Park seems a long time ago, but it’s as good a place as any.

 

After going 5-0 down to an early Keith Earls try, the All Blacks score four converted tries in an 18 minute blitz to firmly put the first test beyond doubt. 

 

Sure enough, two converted tries a piece in the second half saw the home side win 42-19 and the proud Eden Park record was maintained.

 

But as the dust settled, it was clear to many, if not most, that the Irish weren’t 23 points worse than their opponents. The problem for the Irish was that surely the All Blacks would improve for the run-out. Had the men in green missed their best chance to make history and achieve a first test win against New Zealand in New Zealand?

 

Andy Farrell, his coaching staff and most importantly his players didn’t think so. 

 

Farrell largely kept faith with the first test squad, with Mack Hansen on the wing the only change for Earls and in Dunedin, Johnny Sexton’s men again started the stronger. 

 

Prop Andrew Porter scored the opening try after three minutes and, after a chaotic first half which saw more cards than I got for my birthday the next day, the biggest surprise was that the Irish dominance only saw them lead by three at half time, after a converted Beauden Barrett try and dogged All Blacks resistance.

 

The second half saw a second converted try from Porter and only a consolation try from substitute Will Jordan kept the final scoreline respectable, as the final whistle closed the game at 23-12.

 

For the neutral, a game three decider would whet the appetite for a week. For the Irish, history made under the roof but with a bigger achievement still possible. For the All Blacks, seven days to reflect, improve and avoid just the third three test series defeat at home in their history.

 

In years gone by, faith would have quickly been restored and the home side would surely be nailed on to bounce back, and send the Irish into their off season with a convincing defeat; but this All Blacks side simply doesn’t promote that sense of confidence. 

 

It’s been a gradual decline since 2017. After a truly dominant World Cup cycle that led to the Webb Ellis Cup getting a second consecutive stint at NZR HQ in 2015, it was time for new personnel to come through and sustain the success which had become second nature. 

 

After 10 wins on the bounce in 2016, they headed to Chicago where they famously lost to the Irish for the first time; but after that, normal service was resumed as they finished the year with a 13-1 record.

 

2017 saw 13 wins from 16 games but significantly the defeat and draw against the British & Irish Lions (as well as the earlier Lions victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch) started to show the blueprint of how the All Blacks attack could be blunted. Physicality and defensive line speed were the kryptonite that started to make the world champions look vulnerable.

 

Yes, a 54-34 defeat of Australia in Sydney and a record 57-0 victory over South Africa at North Harbour in the following months were examples that seemed to prove things were back on track, but the opposition were shadows of the team in red that Warren Gatland had brought over to Aotearoa earlier in the year.

 

Skipping forward to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, a quarter final performance that seemed, on the face of it, to put the doubters in their place; a seven try, 46-14 rout of the Irish in Tokyo seemed to indicate that a Rugby World Cup three-peat was on and the vulnerabilities were gone. The reality was however that this was an Irish team that had peaked the year before with a Grand Slam and a second victory against Steve Hansen’s men.

 

A week later, against an inspired English side, they were outcoached, outmuscled and outplayed as England deservedly won 19-7 in Yokohama. The reaction to an All Blacks defeat was as muted as I had ever seen; there was a strange acceptance that they were simply second best on the night.

 

With Hansen’s reign ending, NZR’s choice was to stick, via Ian Foster, or twist, via Scott Robertson. Any other candidates such as Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie, to name but two, went in different directions, as the most coveted coaching job in world rugby ended up with the smallest field imaginable.

 

Continuity, conservatism; call it what you will, but it was Foster that won out. 

 

Along came Covid, along came a commitment to a new All Blacks captain. 

 

5th May 2020.

 

‘We wanted to confirm Sam (Cane) now because he’ll play a key role helping us plan for whatever the future looks like and will be working behind the scenes with the other leaders.’ Foster said.

 

Just six matches were to mark their first season in charge; four against Australia which saw two wins, a draw and a loss.

 

Two tests against Argentina rounded off the season, including their first defeat to the Pumas, a 25-15 loss in Sydney.

 

Was it fair to judge the coaches and players on a Covid affected season? 2021 would surely be a better gauge…

 

Except Covid was still calling the shots. 15 tests in total, 10 on the road, on the trot, starting against Australia in Perth on 5th September and ending against France in Paris on 20th November. 

 

Defeat to Ireland came in Dublin before that trip to the Stade de France and the bounce back was widely predicted, but it didn’t materialise. A 40-25 defeat was only part of the issue. The manner of the consecutive defeats to the top European nations was what worried fans the most. 

 

And so to Sky Stadium. Would we see the All Blacks of the second quarter at Eden Park, or the side that had lost three out of the last four tests. Had we seen the best of the Irish in Dunedin? 

 

The Irish made it a hat trick of strong starts.  Impressive openside Josh van der Flier scored the opening try from a lineout drive after just five minutes. Additional first half tries from fullback Hugo Keenan and centre Robbie Henshaw saw the scarcely believable half time scoreline of 22-3. The All Blacks started the second half as they should have started the first, and threatened to pull off an unlikely victory as Ardie Savea, Akira Ioane and Will Jordan scored tries to reduce the deficit to just three points after an hour. But just as hope rose that the bounce back would finally happen, replacement hooker Rob Herring scored the try that sealed history. Straight after the match, Sexton was measured as he reflected on the achievement.

 

‘Well, it means a lot now. I know in a years time when the World Cup starts it won’t mean anything as we’ve learnt before. We’ve got to keep improving, that’s what we’ve got to learn from previous years.’

 

It’s the achilles heel for the Irish. Peaking outside the World Cup and until that changes, victories like this will only mean so much.

 

But for Foster and his coaching staff, getting to the World Cup is now the challenge. Even if they survive this series defeat, next up are two tests away to South Africa. Lose both of those and it would be six defeats in seven. Surely then, it would be time for NZR to twist. Loyalty and continuity can only go so far. 

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