New Zealand 21-11 Ireland: Unlucky Irish are caught cold
Published Date: 08 June 2008
AFTER an hour at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington it was all there for Ireland, history at their finger-tips. For over a hundred years they've tried to beat the All Blacks and have never managed it, a draw in the 1970s as close they have come. But heading into the final quarter they were looking at immortality.
It was a try apiece and 11-11 at that point. The home fans were shifting uncomfortably in their seats and it wasn't all to do with the incessant rain (it never stopped) and wind (it swirled like a dervish) and bitter cold. No, it had more to do with the possibility of an upset, of an Irish win that would surely have seen Graham Henry out of a job. The natives are restless enough after the failure at the World Cup without losing to a side they routinely trounce. That fear was not realised in the end, though. New Zealand dug out the win.
They did so on the back of some hugely physical performances up front and by eating into the Ireland lineout, dismantling it bit by bit until there was pretty much nothing left to dismantle.
That the visitors were still well in the game after an hour was a tribute to their own doggedness, their own massive effort in the forward collisions. Along with their lineout, their scrum was in bother for most of the Test but they battled on, making life difficult for their hosts who were clearly lacking in confidence.
Lacking in players, too. This was a much-changed New Zealand team. There was no Carl Hayman, no Tony Woodcock, no Chris Jack, no Jerry Collins, no Byron Kelleher, no Doug Howlett or Luke McAllister, no Joe Rocokoko either. All of them bar the injured Rocokoko are away in Europe now and ineligible. In the circumstances, Henry will be pleased with the win.
For Ireland, it began to go pear-shaped from just past the hour-mark, when Marcus Horan idiotically threw a punch at a ruck and got penalised. Dan Carter, who stood out on the night for the general awfulness of his game, popped over the penalty and New Zealand had a three point lead.
Two minutes later, they added another seven and virtually ended it as a contest, Ma'a Nonu sliding over after Carter had finally found a gap and went through it in thrilling fashion.
In fairness to Carter, it was an evening of unparallaled foulness on the weather front.
"I don't know if I've played in much colder than that," said Brian O'Driscoll, the Irish captain.
Richie McCaw, his counterpart, backed him on that. "It's probably the coldest game I've ever played in. I've never got cold out on the field but after half-time I was shivering. It was nasty."
Henry echoed the sentiments of the captains. "The game became a lottery," said the relieved All Blacks coach.
"It's very difficult to try and keep yourself focused in those conditions when you're shaking like a leaf out there and wondering if you'll get through the next five minutes."
This was New Zealand's first game since their demise at the World Cup and the first time this season their players have not been governed under the new ELVs. Ireland thought this would give them an edge and none of the early exchanges would have disabused them of the notion. They went ahead through a Ronan O'Gara penalty after seven minutes but the main eye-opener in the opening minutes was Carter's malaise. He kicked terribly, had no control in his game and looked a bit of a lost soul out there. Class act that he is, he produced one moment of absolute magic later on and it won the Test.
New Zealand's nerves were eased after 16 minutes when a fantastic break by Conrad Smith, bamboozling O'Driscoll in the process, set up a score in the corner for Sitiveni Sivivatu but they were anxious again when Ireland struck back three minutes later. When the All Blacks allowed the restart to bounce in their 22 it was the start of it. Multiple scrums and drives later, O'Gara put Paddy Wallace over to give Ireland the lead, 8-5. Carter's restart then went out on the full then he missed a penalty. However, before the break he made it 8-8 with a straightforward kick.
O'Gara eased Ireland into an 11-8 lead just after the break but New Zealand got busy thereafter. The Irish lineout folded and the intensity of the home forwards upped several gears. They may have been without many top boys in that pack but there doesn't appear to much wrong with the new generation.
Carter's penalty and his break for Nonu's try settled it. Afterwards, Ireland bemoaned the loss of a fine opportunity, a tune they have sung many times.
New Zealand: M Muliaina; A Tuitavake L MacDonald, 50), C Smith, M Nonu, S Sivivatu; D Carter, A Ellis; N Tialata, A Hore (K Mealamu, 55), J Afoa (J Schwalger, 31), B Thorn, A Williams, R So'oialo, J Kaino (A Thomson, 76), R McCaw (capt).
Ireland: R Kearney; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), P Wallace, T Bowe; R O'Gara, E Reddan (P Stringer, 70); M Horan (T Buckley, 60), J Flannery (R Best, 52), J Hayes, P O'Connell, D O'Callaghan, D Leamy, J Heaslip, D Wallace.
Scorers: New Zealand – Tries: Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ma'a Nonu; Convs: Daniel Carter; Pens: Carter (3). Ireland – Try: P Wallace; Pens: R O'Gara (2).
Referee: Chris White (England)
The full article contains 934 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
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The New Zealand national rugby team has defeated the Irish equivalent 21-11 in a home rugby test match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium. New Zealand has not lost to Ireland for 103 years, with one draw being the closest Ireland have come to a victory.

The score was tied at 11-11 with 20 minutes remaining in what was New Zealand's first match since exiting the World Cup. However, New Zealand's All Blacks were able to break through Ireland's defences to score a victory.

Conditions at Westpac were unusually bitter for the match. "I don't know if I've played in much colder than that," said Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll, and similar thoughts were echoed from All Black counterpart Richie McCaw. "It's probably the coldest game I've ever played in. I've never got cold out on the field but after half-time I was shivering. It was nasty."

New Zealand centre Conrad Smith commented that "There was one point there are the end when one of the Irishmen went down that both teams were running around in circles doing their own thing (to keep warm). I just looked around and thought 'this is stupid'."

Graham Henry, All Black coach, said that he felt the match had been "a lottery."