Relentless Ireland Outplay New Zealand To Continue Winning Run

Caelan Doris led a relentless squad effort as a crucial two-try surge at the start of the second half propelled Ireland to a 29-20 win over New Zealand.

Match Photo Gallery: Ireland 29 New Zealand 20

Ronan Kelleher and Doris, the Vodafone player-of-the-match, bagged the back-to-back scores, and replacement Joey Carbery coolly slotted over three penalties to seal another famous result at a jam-packed Aviva Stadium.

Andy Farrell’s men could not translate their dominance onto the scoreboard by half-time, the All Blacks leading 10-5 after bouncing back from Codie Taylor’s sin-binning with a try from the returning hooker.

A well-worked 13th-minute opener from James Lowe was Ireland’s lone score until Kelleher and Doris landed that combination blow. New Zealand hung in there and were a disallowed try away from retaking the lead late on.

Instead, replacements Peter O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne increased their influence for the hosts, and Carbery, taking the baton from captain Jonathan Sexton, nailed his kicks much to the delight of the raucous home crowd.

It was Ireland’s third victory in their last five clashes with the All Blacks, following on from Chicago in 2016 and Dublin in 2018.

Doris, who helped the Irish back row to outshine the Kiwi trio, Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Jamison Gibson-Park and Kelleher all stood out in a monumental team performance.

They quickly returned to the fluid attacking style shown last week against Japan, Hugo Keenan breaking a tackle near halfway and some crisp passing releasing Andrew Conway to crash up into the visitors’ 22.

Tadhg Furlong and Doris set the tone in defence, rushing up to force a fumble from Ardie Savea. New Zealand created the game’s first try-scoring opportunity from a Beauden Barrett cross-field kick, but Ireland’s outside backs stood up to the task.

Lowe made a try-saving tackle on Will Jordan and then a double hit from Conway and Ringrose denied Jordie Barrett’s follow-up effort. A Kelleher interception, coupled with a penalty against New Zealand for offside, cleared the danger.

New Zealand then lost Taylor to the sin bin, the hooker guilty of a swinging arm tackle that made contact with Sexton’s head. Ireland immediately profited, the forwards initially pressing off a lineout maul near the right corner.

They did enough to suck the visitors’ defence in, and a long fizzing pass from Bundee Aki had Keenan running hard out to the left before the full-back released Lowe to stretch out and score, despite Jordie Barrett’s last-ditch tackle.

After Sexton’s conversion attempt had drifted wide, the All Blacks responded well with a Jordie Barrett penalty but the injury-enforced loss of his older brother, Beauden, was a significant blow for Ian Foster’s side.

Although Ireland dominated the second quarter in terms of possession and territory, they could not add to their tally. New Zealand’s dogged defence frustrated them as some promising build-up play went unrewarded.

Farrell’s charges made sure they kept the visitors pinned back and on the defensive, with flanker Doris leading a successful choke tackle, Ringrose slithering through into the 22, and James Ryan stealing a lineout.

Tighthead Furlong had a try ruled out for a double movement on the ground from Kelleher, and seizing a rare opportunity in the Irish half, New Zealand stung the men in green with a classy score soon after.

Dalton Papalii capitalised on a gap at the rear of a lineout to thunder through and pass for Taylor to raid over to the left of the posts. Jordie Barrett tagged on the conversion and, just like that, the scoreboard showed 10-5.

Ireland piled on the pressure approaching the interval, invited forward by a penalty for a late tackle on Sexton. However, a second try continued to elude them as Lowe and Sexton were both stopped short before Gibson-Park was denied by a Sam Whitelock tackle.

Early on the resumption, a Sexton-led wraparound move propelled wingers Lowe and Conway forward and Ireland’s persistence duly paid off.

Ryan, Doris and Josh van der Flier all carried with great intent in the 22 before hooker Kelleher powered over, with timely support from Iain Henderson.

Sexton’s conversion bounced wide off the left hand post, leaving the sides level at 10 points apiece, and Ireland pushed on, snatching back the lead by the 50-minute mark.

Mayo man Doris exploited a gap to the side of a ruck, shrugging off Taylor’s attempted tackle and accelerating through to score a terrific try – his first at Test level – from 25 metres out.

Ireland continued to take the game to the All Blacks, Furlong displayed his handling skills in the lead up to a successful Sexton penalty. The skipper made it 20-10, punishing replacement David Havili for going offside.

Gibson-Park did really well to thwart Sevu Reece from a dangerous kick through by TJ Perenara, and Ryan picked off another Kiwi lineout, but New Zealand soon showed how dangerous they can be again off limited possession.

Jordan carried their biggest threat out wide, he was found in space on the New Zealand 10-metre line and Rieko Ioane gathered the winger’s chip kick, ahead of Lowe, before passing for Jordan to finish off behind the posts.

That score, converted by full-back Barrett, briefly silenced the home crowd, but they were soon back at full volume following a turnover by Beirne.

Replacement Tyrel Lomax’s tackle off the ball allowed the newly-introduced Carbery to steady Ireland at 23-17, with 16 minutes remaining.

New Zealand quickly lifted the tempo, their bench making an impact. The tension increased when a TMO review disallowed an Akira Ioane try due to a marginally forward pass from his brother, centre Rieko.

Instead, a Barrett penalty made it a three-point game, and New Zealand, with number 8 Savea breaking free from deep, had the hosts scrambling back in defence as Havilii also evaded a tackle.

They made it up to halfway where Lowe’s man-and-ball tackle, combined with a well-won turnover penalty from O’Mahony, turned the tide in thrilling fashion.

Showing his quality as a place-kicker, Carbery followed up with a brilliant 50-metre kick to give the men in green a six-point cushion.

Keenan anticipated a cross-field kick for an important interception, and as the clock wound down, Beirne got in a great position at the breakdown. The resulting last-minute penalty saw Carbery confirm Ireland’s seventh straight triumph of 2021.