It takes more than one win to earn respect in New Zealand…
In one of the most famous victories in Ireland’s rugby history, they defeated New Zealand in a thriller by 40-29 at Soldier Field in Chicago just two short weeks ago.
It’s a win that will live long in the memory of the rugby faithful in Ireland, although we can imagine it has been very firmly been pushed to the back of the players’ minds by the voice of Joe Schmidt.
An All Black pack sheared of the line-out prowess of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick in Solider Field meant the line-out and in particular, the maul, became a prime attacking weapon for the Irish pack culminating in a try for Jordi Murphy before he was forced off with a nasty knee injury.
It was a fine performance from Ireland that got its just reward, a first victory over the All Blacks, even if few expect a repeat of such heroics when the pair clash in the Aviva Stadium.
Writing for Stuff.co.nz, a popular New Zealand website, Hamish Bidwell is certainly in this category as he writes:
“Good luck to the Irish.
“If you huff and puff long enough, the odds are you’ll blow your opponent’s house down eventually.
“So, 111 years and a goodly number of thrashings after their first encounter in 1905, Ireland finally did beat New Zealand in a rugby test. Congratulations to them, but that 40-29 victory in Chicago hardly means we have to start viewing this as one of the game’s great and enduring rivalries.”
Prior to the first clash in Chicago, a writer for Newshub New Zealand showed how very little he thought of our chances when he wrote:
“We are so far ahead of the pack that we could literally send an All Black D side to Europe on the End of Year Tour with basically a whole new team and still wipe the floor clean with the ‘Northern Raiders.'”
We all know how that one turned out…
