Watch out for those Blacks. New Zealand dominated Ireland at home (23-13) this Friday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The All Blacks had a second success in as many test matches, six days after getting the better of England (24-22) at Twickenham.
They built their success by pushing the Irish, already their victims in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup, into error, and by capitalizing on the six penalties scored by Damian McKenzie, starting at the opening in the absence of Beauden Barrett, affected against the English.
The XV du Trèfle was able to go ahead in the score for a while, thanks to the first try of the match, scored by Van der Flier after the break (13-9, 43rd), while the All Blacks were outnumbered after the card yellow by Jordie Barrett.
But when they found themselves back at fifteen, the New Zealanders moved forward again. A domination brought to fruition by McKenzie at the foot, and completed by a try at the end of the line from fullback Will Jordan (23-13, 69th).
Meet the Blues on November 16
The well-oiled machinery of the Irish in previous seasons seemed to seize up, in the absence of their playing master Jonathan Sexton, retired. The domination of the Greens has been sterile and there have been numerous inaccuracies. Opposite, without being flamboyant, the All Blacks made more impacts and their defense held up. Like at the Stade de France a year ago during the quarter-final of the World Cup.
The XV of France, which begins its fall tests on Saturday (9:10 p.m.) against Japan, has been warned. New Zealand will want to come to Saint-Denis to seek revenge for the opening match of the last World Cup, lost by the Blacks against Antoine Dupont’s Blues. See you on November 16 at the Stade de France.
