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Records show All Blacks' greatest rugby adversary is now Ireland
By
Ben Smith
The All Blacks-Ireland rivalry has became the greatest of the last decade for New Zealand rugby, and perhaps the global game’s showpiece fixture.
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From a New Zealand perspective no side has irked the country like Ireland, with a tit-for-tat win-loss ledger and on-field player spats spilling into the media adding fuel to the fire.
While Kiwi fans love to fawn over traditional rivals Springboks as ‘brother nations’ and lather each other with ‘respect’, it’s the opposite with the Irish and their fast rise that has flipped over the All Black applecart.
Many New Zealanders are reluctant to recognise or credit Ireland’s greatness, clinging to dated views that they remain in the same category as Wales and Scotland, European doormats who are there to get stomped by the black machine.
They just don’t like losing to the Irish. The one-off win in Chicago in 2016 was supposed to be an aberration, and the retribution test in Dublin that year was supposed to prove so.
The fallout from the 2016 revenge match also signalled a turning point in the shape of the wider game, with many of the tackles from that night sparking the start of a crackdown. Legal tackle heights came down and card sanctions increased.
Sam Cane’s World Cup final tackle on Jesse Kriel would have barely been noticed in 2016, yet it was his sickening hit on Henshaw back in that 2016 Test that set the path forward.
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Again in 2018 Ireland created history by beating the All Blacks a second time, this time it was Steve Hansen’s top squad who were sent over to Europe early to prepare for the showing.
Jacob Stockdale’s famous try the catalyst for a 16-9 victory as New Zealand went tryless. New Zealand fans and media alike were lost for a valid explanation. The All Blacks had a real problem on their hands. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Back-to-back World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett was gunning for three straight gongs in 2018 after emerging from the 2015 World Cup as the game’s leading superstar. The end of year tour tipped the balance and Johnny Sexton scooped the award over Barrett.
Ireland fell apart in 2019 and when the two sides met in the World Cup quarter-final, an All Black victory felt inevitable. They punished Ireland 46-14 for sweet revenge. But again, soon after Ireland proved that the All Black “Aura” no longer mattered to them.
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When Ian Foster’s lot turned up in 2021 they were handed another loss, 29-20. The image of ex-pat winger James Lowe famously screaming over the top of an All Black ruck after winning a holding on penalty is burned into the memories of New Zealand fans.
Once again there was a response from the other side. The All Blacks were chuffed after a 42-19 win in the first Test at Eden Park in 2022. Three tries in the space of 10 minutes following the forced exit of Johnny Sexton buried the visitors by half-time.
Maybe they thought they’d wrap up the series and send Ireland on their way. But the most turbulent time of Ian Foster’s reign was about to begin as Ireland bounced back to send the All Blacks into a tailspin.
Substitution debacles, multiple cards including a red to reserve prop Angus Ta’avao derailed the home side in the Dunedin test. Ireland had once again scored the opening try inside five minutes and looked the better side with Sexton back on the pitch. O’Mahoney famously chirped that Cane was a “sh*t McCaw” towards the end.
The full-time celebrations were telling. A lot of sides carry on cock-a-hoop like they’ve won a World Cup after beating the All Blacks. Argentina have multiple times in recent years, only to get demolished a week later.
Irish players barely recognised the win, arms were raised but it was a very measured response, understanding the job was only half done. They smelt blood in the water.
The All Blacks were flat out embarrassed in the third and final Test, losing a historic series on home soil. The fallout was chaotic, with two assistant coaches let go and Foster’s job put on the line.
The pain and embarrassment of the series defeat left a lot of pent up emotion for the All Blacks. They retreated into their shells, resentful of media, upset with criticism. It left a big chip on the shoulder.
However, through the storm it also sparked change for the good. Joe Schmidt came in with a prominent role as an assistant coach. The All Blacks cleaned up their shapes and patterns and started to look like a well oiled machine. They finished 2022 on an undefeated run of seven in a row. That streak would extend to 11 as the All Blacks opened 2023 with a dominant Rugby Championship title.
The players and coaches have since admitted they wanted to see Ireland in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. After losing to France on opening night and after Ireland toppled South Africa, they got their wish.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final was an all-time great game, decided on the finest of margins. Jordie Barrett’s miracle tackle on reserve hooker Ronan Kelleher the defining moment.
All the pain of the 2022 series defeat was bottled up and delivered to Ireland on that night, delivering an emotionally crushing blow to the number one ranked team riding 17 wins in a row. Brodie Retallick was happy to serve O’Mahony with a sledge and Rieko Ioane’s infamous send off to Johnny Sexton is now public.
This modern rivalry has been built on delivering crushing emotional pain to each other, which at each turn has grown larger and larger. No side has tarnished the All Blacks’ reputation as a dominant powerhouse like Ireland. The All Blacks have kept Ireland’s quarter-final curse in tact.
Since the breakthrough win in 2016 the ledger stands at 5-4 in Ireland’s favour. For any opposition against the All Blacks, that is historically exceptional.
Losses to the Springboks are accepted by the public. Losses to Australia are infrequent and rare enough. But losses to Ireland with the frequency that they have come have been a bitter pill to swallow. The All Blacks were 27-1-0 over Ireland dating back to 1905, now they have become their greatest rugby adversary.
Over the same period since the 2016 Chicago loss, the All Blacks hold a 9-1-7 winning record over South Africa despite losing the last four straight. Ireland are the only team the All Blacks have a losing record against since winning their third Rugby World Cup title.
And the recent history of this rivalry suggests that revenge is in store for last year’s painful quarter-final exit but at least the New Zealand rugby public know what to expect now.
Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV
The New Zealand performance in the return fixture in 2016 was filthy. A lot of Irish supporters were pretty shocked by it, viewed it as de facto cheating just to avoid another defeat.
Also shocked by the abuse to Ireland, captain, vice-captain and spectators after the full time whistle in Paris defeat, last match.
Sledging is sledging, but that happens during the game and targetting spectators should be completely out of bounds.
The Irish public used to enjoy these matches, even in defeat. Now they are necessary but unpleasant, because NZ apparently cannot accept or respect successful challengers.
Fair to say that NZ have come to respect Ireland, as have all teams. But it's a bit click-baitey to say that the game is the premier show-down for NZ.
SA has beaten NZ four times in a row, including in the RWC final.