Ireland stun All Blacks to make history
IRELAND ended a centur y-long losing streak to claim a historic firstever win over New Zealand on Saturday, sending the All Blacks spinning to a 40-29 defeat with a scintillating display.
Just days after the Windy City erupted in celebration after the Chicago Cubs landed their first World Series baseball crown in 108 years, Ireland booted their own 111year rugby hoodoo firmly into touch.
Roared on by army of greenclad fans in a 62,300 crowd at Soldier Field, the Irish outscored the All Blacks by five tries to four to seal their first win over the Kiwis in the 29th instalment of a rivalry dating to 1905.
“It has been a long time coming and history [has been] made. We’re absolutely ecstatic,” Ireland skipper Rory Best said after leading his team on a raucous lap of honour at the famed NFL venue.
“We knew they are a great side. You can see how good a side they are and how much it means to our boys to have won that.”
Ireland were forced to cling on in the closing stages after a ferocious New Zealand fightback, which saw the All Blacks recover from a 30-8 deficit to go within four points at 33-29 with around 15 minutes to go.
But with the crowd roaring them home, Ireland scored a fifth and final try through outstanding centre Robbie Henshaw, converted by replacement fly-half Joey Carbery, to clinch a famous win.
It was New Zealand’s first defeat since their loss to Australia in August 2015.
Only last month, the All Blacks had set a world record for consecutive victories with their 18th win in a row.
New Zealand’s preparations for the Test had been thrown into disarray by the absence through injury of first choice locks Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock.
The further absence of second row Luke Romano following a family bereavement had forced them into starting a makeshift pairing of Jerome Kaino and Patrick Tuipulotu.
But New Zealand coach Steve Hansen refused to blame the injury crisis for the loss.
“The right side won,” Hansen said. “The Irish side played very well and congratulations to them.
“We don’t want to use [the injuries] as an excuse. We trained well enough, we prepared well enough, we thought. We’re not going to make any excuses about not having the right people.”
Australia rout Wales
The moments before the match had seen Ireland pay an emotional tribute to beloved former international Anthony Foley, who died suddenly last month at the age of 42.
As New Zealand lined up to perform their traditional haka, Ireland’s players stood before them in a figure of eight – a reference to Foley’s position.
“We felt it was the right thing to do,” Best said. “There was a lot of emotion.”
Meanwhile, Australian flyhalf Bernard Foley was in imperious form as he helped extend the Wallabies’ winning streak over Wales to 12 games with a comprehensive 32-8 victory on Saturday.
Foley exchanged an early penalty with Leigh Halfpenny before the visitors scored three first-half tries from skipper Stephen Moore, Reece Hodge and Tevita Kuridrani to lay the bedrock for a dominant display.
Foley stretched the lead early in the second period with his own try before Scott Williams pulled one back for the home side, seeking their first victory in an opening game of an autumn series since beating Romania in 2002.
But the Wallabies had the last laugh when winger Dane Haylett-Petty crossed for a fifth try after picking off a sloppy Welsh pass.
Since losing to New Zealand in the final of last year’s World Cup, Australia have endured a six-match losing streak and headed into Saturday’s match with just three Test wins in the last 11.
Wales’s record against the “big three” of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa now stands at just two wins in 34 games since Warren Gatland took charge in 2008.
Australia’s victory, however, gives them the perfect start to their bid for a first Grand Slam since 2008, with matches lined up against Scotland, France, Ireland and England, plus a midweek match with the French Barbarians.