2 weeks ago
9
It is simply a feeling Ireland person not felt for astir 4 years.
For the archetypal clip since France near Dublin victorious successful the 2021 Six Nations, Ireland's players greeted full-time astatine Aviva Stadium with bowed heads and hands connected hips arsenic New Zealand celebrated a 23-13 win.
Andy Farrell admitted losing astatine location was a "funny aged feeling". He tin lone anticipation it is an aberration and not a portent for a grim autumn run earlier his secondment with the British and Irish Lions.
That it was New Zealand who ended Ireland's 19-game unbeaten tally astatine location volition lone deepen Irish dejection.
In that France game, played successful an bare stadium during the Covid pandemic, Ireland were astatine slightest spared the ignominy of decision successful beforehand of their ain fans.
It was a antithetic communicative here, however, arsenic the location supporters headed for the exits adjacent earlier Damian McKenzie booted the shot into the assemblage to seal the All Blacks' archetypal triumph connected Irish ungraded since 2016.
Ireland and New Zealand games usually unrecorded up to - and successful immoderate cases surpass - the hype.
This 1 did not travel adjacent - adjacent though the signifier had been acceptable perfectly..
While they refused to admit it, Ireland were retired for revenge aft past year's World Cup quarter-final defeat.
New Zealand, connected the different hand, had the symptom of 2022's location bid decision to banish connected their archetypal sojourn to Dublin successful 3 years.
And an already steadfast rivalry was fuelled by Johnny Sexton and Rieko Ioane's spat successful the contiguous aftermath of past year's World Cup game, which the erstwhile Ireland fly-half felt compelled to see successful his autobiography.
To people the consciousness of occasion, determination was adjacent a fancy pre-game lightshow and a hair-raising Irish roar erstwhile the location broadside precocious to conscionable a haka led by Ioane.
Then the crippled happened - and it did not play retired with the ferocity and enterprising rugby with which this fixture has go synonymous successful caller years.
A batch of that was down to a disjointed, mistake-laden Irish performance, which ended with 13 penalties conceded, 30 missed tackles and 21 handling errors.
They scored 10 of their 13 points portion Jordie Barrett was sin-binned for a precocious deed connected Garry Ringrose, and whereas the World Cup crippled ended with Ireland pushing for a try, present their situation was swept distant successful the Dublin rain.
"New Zealand conscionable didn't fto them play," erstwhile Ireland helping Tommy Bowe said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.
"They looked sloppy with shot successful hand, they didn't spell done the benignant of phases we're utilized to seeing and we didn't truly spot immoderate dangermen retired there.
"Andy Goodman came successful arsenic the onslaught manager to regenerate Mike Catt, but he'll beryllium scratching his caput astatine the infinitesimal due to the fact that it conscionable didn't look to person the aforesaid fluidity we're utilized to seeing from this squad successful green."
For the Ireland players, a grim post-match reappraisal awaits connected Sunday, but Farrell whitethorn already beryllium mulling implicit his enactment for Friday's lucifer against Argentina, who person beaten New Zealand and satellite champions South Africa this year.
Before this campaign, Fiji's sojourn to Dublin connected 23 November appeared the astir apt arena for Farrell to experimentation and delve deeper into his squad, but the Englishman whitethorn consciousness arsenic though wholesale changes are needed for Argentina.
Farrell went for a tried-and-tested squad against the All Blacks, with 10 of his line-up having started the World Cup quarter-final.
The trade and crippled absorption of Sexton, the lone subordinate missing from a acquainted backline, was sorely missed. Jack Crowley, who has started successful the 10 jersey successful each crippled since Sexton's retirement, was incapable to orchestrate the Irish attack.
Crowley was withdrawn aft 58 minutes. Ciaran Frawley, who starred successful the South Africa summertime bid with his Durban drop-goal double, did not fare overmuch better.
Sam Prendergast, the 3rd fly-half successful the squad, is viewed by immoderate arsenic Ireland's semipermanent solution astatine 10. He is uncapped but surely can't beryllium excessively acold distant from his debut.
But Farrell's enactment issues widen beyond fly-half. He whitethorn consciousness the request to reintroduce Ryan Baird and Craig Casey, who were unlucky to miss retired connected the matchday squad, portion Calvin Nash - who ably deputised for the injured Mack Hansen successful the Six Nations - volition beryllium itching for different chance.
"There were a batch of question marks with immoderate of the seat picks," observed 2009 Grand Slam victor Bowe.
"The likes of Cian Healy, who has 130 caps, Tom O'Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray. Is it clip to springiness an accidental to the young guys to effort and instrumentality this squad connected to the adjacent World Cup?"
This was Ireland's 3rd decision successful 5 games, aft losses distant to England and South Africa.
But it was besides their astir puzzling and ineffective performance.
That is what volition interest Farrell the most. And that is wherefore helium whitethorn consciousness the request for a shake-up earlier Argentine travel to town.
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