New Zealand reach Rugby World Cup semis as Ireland fall short again

  New Zealand withstood three comebacks from Ireland and two yellow cards to defeat the world number one team, avenging a historic home series defeat at the hands of Ireland last year.

Defeat ended Ireland’s run of 17 successive Test victories and denied them the chance of their first ever World Cup semi-final.

The All Blacks will come back to Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, to meet Argentina next Friday, after the Pumas rallied to beat Wales 29-17 in Marseille earlier.

Ireland go home after falling short again with an eighth Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat.

The Irish trailed 13-0 and 18-10 in the first half, and by 25-17 in the second half before a penalty try made it a one-point contest with a little more than 15 minutes left.

Hooker Codie Taylor was sin-binned for collapsing the maul, leaving New Zealand a man down for the second time.

The tension rose again when Jordie Barrett missed a penalty, but he slotted his next penalty kick to give New Zealand a slender four-point cushion with 10 minutes left.

New Zealand resisted a huge maul on the tryline with a few minutes left and then incredibly withstood 37 Irish phases on the last all-for-nothing Irish attack for a monumental victory.

‘It was a battle’
New Zealand’s first-half tries came from left winger Leicester Fainga’anuku and No. 8 Ardie Savea; Ireland’s from center Bundee Aki and scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, both New Zealand-born.

Right winger Will Jordan’s brilliant try early in the second half, expertly set up and then converted by flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, gave the All Blacks a 25-17 lead.

“It was one of those Test matches, it was a battle, I’m really proud of my boys. Ireland have set the standard and I want to send love to them,” said player of the match Ardie Savea of New Zealand.

The first half was cagey.

Fainga’anuku’s early try helped the All Blacks to 13-0 and gave him his fifth try of the tournament. But a penalty from standout flyhalf Jonathan Sexton and Aki’s well-taken converted try dragged the Irish back to 13-10.

Aki took a high catch from James Lowe and ghosted inside center Rieko Ioane and Shannon Frizell, slipped two weak cover tackles, and crashed over.

Back came New Zealand, with Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane combining to send Ardie Savea flying into the right corner. Savea stood up, crossed his arms, thumped his chest after finishing like a winger.

Then more drama, as referee Wayne Barnes sin-binned scrumhalf Aaron Smith in the 37th minute for a a deliberate knock on as a line-break ball was reaching Gibson-Park. 

Ireland took an attacking lineout, the maul worked to perfection, and Gibson-Park dummied inside Jordan to squirm over the line for a converted try.

‘Unbelievable game’
Smith came back on just after hooker Dan Sheehan failed to catch Mack Hansen’s high kick into the right corner.

New Zealand then scored the try of the night.

Lock Brodie Retallick won a lineout on the halfway line and the ball was fed to Mo’unga, who carved a hole through Ireland’s midfield before offloading for Jordan to sprint into the right corner for his fifth try of the tournament.

Sexton missed a penalty on the hour mark, the Irish kept probing on both flanks.

They got another break when Barnes awarded a penalty try, but New Zealand did not concede when a man down and held on for a titanic victory.

Ireland’s winning test run ended at 17, one short of the tier one record held by England and New Zealand, and one short of a desperately sought first semi-final.

“What an unbelievable game of rugby union. I am lost for words,” said former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick. “I knew the All Blacks had a game in them, but it was the way they delivered and put pressure on Ireland.”

(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP)