Schmidt: I’m still bleeding from 2013 loss

Like many top coaches, Ireland’s Kiwi rugby mentor Joe Schmidt remembers the agonising defeats more vividly than he does the epic victories.

So it was no surprise to hear Schmidt reveal in the leadup to this weekend’s hugely anticipated champion of the hemispheres showdown against the All Blacks at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium that the 2013 last-gasp defeat to the New Zealanders at the same venue continues to haunt him.

Much more so, it would appear, than the historic victory three years later over the All Blacks in Chicago lives in his memory. Schmidt, considered a top contender to replace Steve Hansen as All Blacks coach after next year’s World Cup if the incumbent chooses to stand down, told reporters in Dublin that the wounds from 2013 were still fresh as he contemplated another matchup against his home country and the back-toback world champions.

Ireland went down to the All Blacks that day 24-22 after they had led 22-7 at halftime and appeared to be headed towards an historic victory. But the visitors produced one of their great Houdini acts when they put replacement back Ryan Crotty across in the final seconds and Aaron Cruden was able to slot the match-winning conversion from the sideline at the second attempt. Three years later Schmidt’s men finally nailed the elusive first ever victory over the All Blacks when they stunned them 40-29 in Chicago, though couldn’t back it up as they were rolled 21-9 in Dublin a fortnight later.

“I’d be delighted if we can be as competitive as the last three times we’ve played them,” Schmidt said in Dublin.

“The fact that the points differential between us is so narrow ... the game in 2013: I’m still bleeding from that.

“It hurts when that happens. Chicago was a great band aid, but two weeks later we were very, very much in the game, and it was very tough, very, very tough.”

Schmidt said his players had to expect a major increase in intensity this week in a match being billed as an unofficial world championship between the champions of south and north.

“As physical as it was against Argentina, playing against New Zealand has been a step up,” he said.