A familiar feeling, but one that never gets any easier.
Ireland's World Cup dream is over, and once again it’s ended at the quarter-final hurdle.
This time we believed it would be different and in a way it was. For once, New Zealand were underdogs against this all-conquering Irish side, but it was the All Blacks who showed their class. There can be no denying the better team won at the Stade de France.
Their 28-24 defeat was one of the all-time great World Cup games. This wasn’t like Wellington in 2011 where they never landed a shot, or Cardiff or Tokyo where they were blown out of the water. Andy Farrell’s side looked like they had this game lost three times over and were still there at the end with a chance to win. It will come as little consolation.
The match was lost at the setpiece, with their scrum giving up three penalties and a lineout that gave sloppy ball, particularly in the opening half.
At one stage in the opening half it looked like they were toast, with Leicester Fainga'anuku running in the opening try on 18 minutes as the All Blacks racked up a 13-0 lead.
Every time it looked like New Zealand were in control, Ireland came back. Bundee Aki’s sensational try got Ireland back to 13-10, and after Ardie Savea crossed for a second All Blacks try, Jamison Gibson-Park responded to make it 18-17 by the break.
For all of Ireland’s fight, they could just never get their noses in front, and traded tries with New Zealand after the break, Will Jordan scoring off a glorious first-phase lineout play before Ireland kept in touch with a penalty try.
They could only ever keep in touch though, and New Zealand consistently came up with answers, even when Ireland launched one final, relentless attack in the dying stages, with 38 phases of rugby clinically ended by Sam Whitelock who came up with the decisive, game-winning turnover.
It’s a defeat that marks the end of an era in Irish rugby, as the curtain comes down on the career of Ireland’s captain and record scorer Johnny Sexton, whose seven points off the tee just weren’t enough to turn the tide.
On six minutes New Zealand went in front after what had been an exhausting start to the game. A scrappy start saw Porter give up two penalties before the All Blacks hammered at the Irish defence in the 22.
For 29 phases Ireland tackled and tackled before Beirne was penalised for not rolling away. As Richie Mo’unga kicked his side into a 3-0 lead it gave everyone in the stadium a much-needed breather.
Ireland had barely touched the ball in those opening minutes, but had a big opportunity to score shortly after as Sexton went for the corner after New Zealand were penalised 35 metres out. The lineout was scrappy, and while Ireland recovered the ball their efforts to move it wide came to nothing when a poor pass to Lowe was spilt into touch.
Jordie Barrett stretched the lead out to 6-0 in the 13th minute when he tagged on a long-range penalty after a brilliant jackal by Savea, who latched in on top of Doris after he had been hit with a thumping tackle on the halfway line.
Ireland were creating chances but lacking the execution. Some lovely work down the right wing by Hansen and Ringrose saw them get back down to the 22, but after they worked their way up towards the line, Gibson-Park lost control and New Zealand cleared again.
Ireland were being wasteful, and the All Blacks were looking lethal, and hit with a blistering try on 18 minutes to extend their lead further. Beauden Barrett started it with a chip into space in midfield, and while the full-back was flattened with a brilliant tackle by Lowe, they recycled quickly and swept the ball wide, before a one-two between Fainga'anuku and Rieko Ioane allowed the former to dive in and score.
Trailing 13-0, Ireland needed something fast, and they were gifted three points straight off the restart when New Zealand were penalised for obstruction, Sexton tapping over his first penalty to cut the deficit to 10 points.
On 24 minutes the real breakthrough arrived. It started when Hansen and Sheehan linked up well down the right to gain an entry to the 22. Ireland went wide-wide, swiftly moving it back down the left wing until a penalty advantage arrived.
Having dragged the New Zealand defence one way, they came back to the openside to Aki, and the centre shimmied inside the diving tackles of Ioane and Shannon Frizell before shaking off Tyrel Lomax to dive in and score his fifth try of the tournament.
Sexton’s conversion trimmed it back to 13-10, but the score didn’t seem to rattle New Zealand. They were doing a fine job of disrupting Ireland’s lineout, and after nicking one back onto their side a wonderful 50:22 from Jordan sent them back on the attack.
Moving in towards the posts they won a penalty advantage, before sweeping it back out wide where Savea’s diving finish gave them their second try, one that Mo’unga couldn’t covert, as the All Blacks moved 18-10 in front.
A remarkable first half continued to sway back and forth though. Four minutes before half-time Hansen spotted a gap in the defence and broke through and attempted to offload, but it was deliberately knocked down by Aaron Smith who was sent to the sin-bin.
Turning down an easy three-pointer, Sexton went to the corner before another penalty followed, and after the Irish maul was initially stopped, Gibson-Park sniped for the line and had just enough to dive in and score.
When Sexton’s conversion split the posts, Ireland were only 18-17 behind as they went for the half-time break.
Ireland had momentum and the break didn’t slow it. Hansen was showing no signs of the calf injury he carried in the week, and his 50:22 on 43 minutes put his side back on the attack.
With New Zealand still down to 14 men, Ireland were targeting the right wing, with Gibson-Park and then Hansen chipping kicks into space. On the first occasion, the All Blacks had cover, but on the second Sheehan was fingertips away from running in a try.
From the resulting scrum Porter was penalised for the second time, but shortly after he made up for it with a brilliant steal at the ruck, and while Ireland launched a dangerous counter, it came to nothing when Henderson was turned over on the 22.
It proved to be a costly error. Going off the top from the lineout, Mo’unga danced through a gap between Van der Flier and Sheehan to create a two-on-one against Keenan, before popping outside to Jordan who sprinted into the corner to score his side’s third try. Mo’unga’s conversion near the touchline was sweet, as his side moved 25-17 ahead on 52 minutes.
Five minutes later Ireland had the chance to get back within a score when New Zealand were penalised for not rolling away, but Sexton’s penalty from 35 metres drifted wide.
Just as the sinking feeling was starting to creep in, Ireland gave the tens of thousands of supporters at the Stade hope. Keenan’s blistering run into the 22 eventually resulted in a penalty, and after going to the corner again, they drove the All Blacks over their line, as Barnes ran in under the posts to award a penalty try. With 17 minutes to go New Zealand’s lead was just one point, 25-24, and they were also down to 14 men, Codie Taylor sent to the bin after collapsing the maul.
The scrum was killing Ireland, and when they gave away their third penalty at the setpiece it allowed Jordie Barrett the chance to extend the New Zealand lead. The centre’s kick pulled wide, but just two minutes later he had another shot after being taken off the ball by Murray. This time his radar was on as he made it 28-24.
The game didn’t know what it was doing, and on 70 minutes Ireland were again camped on the All Black line after Aki won a brilliant jackal penalty. The Irish maul powered to the line but were held up, and to compound the frustration Doris spilled the drop-out to give New Zealand a midfield scrum.
An epic game went right down to the final play as Ireland threw everything they had at their opponents for 38 draining phases, but it wouldn’t be enough.
New Zealand march on to face Argentina in the last four, and Ireland are left to stew on another gut-wrenching quarter-final exit.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Jonathan Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Tadgh Beirne, Iain Henderson; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jimmy O'Brien.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga'anuku; Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (capt), Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
