Ireland end 111 year wait against All Blacks

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

What’s happening here?

It’s November 5, 2016 at Soldier Field Chicago, the historic home ground of the Chicago Bears NFL franchise, and Ireland No.8 Jamie Heaslip is giving a heartfelt thumbs up after a famous 40-29 Ireland win over New Zealand. All is well in the world for the Blarney Army and their team.

What’s the story behind the picture?

There is a lot going on here. Firstly the imagination of the USA to bring this game, officially out of the Test window, to Chicago and to such an iconic American venue which is probably the best suited NFL or baseball ground to accommodate a full-sized rugby pitch and give the crowd normal sight lines.

Soldier Field had provided a brilliant venue two years earlier when

New Zealand thrashed the US Eagles in front of a capacity 62,000 crowd but 12 months later only 23,000 attended the Eagles match against Australia. Such gala occasions needed the drawing power of New Zealand and indeed Ireland with their huge ex-pat connections in Chicago.

Then there was the historic backstory of Ireland’s long run of defeat against New Zealand and then on top of everything were the emotions surrounding the sudden death, at the age of 43, just three weeks prior to this of the popular former Ireland No.8 Tony Foley who had been coaching Munster.

Ireland lined up in a No.8 formation to accept the New Zealand haka and for a so-called ‘friendly’ and gala occasion the stakes could not have been higher. New Zealand were on an 18-game winning streak which they were in no mood to surrender. There was a real edge to proceedings.

What happened next?

Ireland knocked it out the park with an all singing, all dancing yet controlled performance to win 40-29, outscoring their opponents five tries to four. With Johnny Sexton pulling the strings at fly-half Ireland met fire with fire up front and amassed tries from CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Jordi Murphy as they romped into a 30-8 lead early in the second half.

New Zealand responded, of course they did, and closed to 33-29, and with Sexton off injured it all got a bit tense but debutant replacement Joey Carbery slotted in well at ten and Robbie Henshaw powered over for the clinching score.

Why is the picture iconic?

It took 111 years for Ireland to secure a first-ever win over New Zealand and Heaslip’s reaction encapsulates all of that. There is the immediate joy of victory and the outstanding manner of victory but in the same instant your mind also takes in the blood, sweat and toil that went in this moment and the emotions are triggered. It almost goes without saying that this is also a testament to New Zealand’s enduring excellence, that beating them means so much.

Ireland have always been Rugby A listers and frankly it was something of an aberration, and indeed national embarrassment, that somewhere along the line they hadn’t chalked up a win over the ABs, especially as Munster had so notably achieved that feat on their own. The vast majority of Irish rugby legends – Kyle, McBride, Gibson, Slattery, Wood, O’Driscoll, O’Connell et al never got to taste victory over New Zealand in a green jersey and it haunted them a little.

There were some close calls. There was a 6-5 defeat in Dublin in 1963 and ten years later they drew 10-10 at Lansdowne Road and there are still thousands who were at the ground that day who will swear that Barry McGann’s steepling, swirling conversion attempt of Jonny Maloney’s try crept in at the last moment. It does look awful close on the grainy footage and the man himself always swore it went over. There would be a TMO debate today.

On the road there were brave defeats in 1992 in Dunedin where they lost 24-21 and ten years later in Christchurch where they lost 22-19. Both those honourable defeats were followed by right royal spankings

seven days later. Ireland just couldn’t seem to back it up against New Zealand.

In 2013 they led 19-0 at one stage at the Aviva and despite the inevitable New Zealand comeback could still have been two scores up with five minutes left had Johnny Sexton not missed a simple penalty shot just to the side of the posts. And even then they seemed to have secured a draw when Aaron Cruden missed his touchline conversion only for Nigel Owens to order it to be retaken. The Kiwi didn’t miss a second time.

So this was the long-awaited iconic moment of deliverance, the exercising of the demons.

Footnote: What’s that they say about waiting for buses? Ireland may have lost the rematch in Dublin two weeks later but have subsequently posted another two victories against New Zealand, in 2018 and 2021, meaning they have now won three of their last five games against the All Blacks. There was a thumping World Cup quarter-final defeat in Japan to absorb. This summer’s series down under should be a cracker. A fantastic rivalry is building.