Irish heartbreak in the Aviva
Ireland played New Zealand in their final match in the Autumn Internationals. Ireland had lost against Australia the week previously and were expected to lose this match as well. the match was starting at 2 o'clock. Only the All Blacks were looking forward to it because they could make history of being the first team in the professional era to go the whole season unbeaten.
The match started of well for Ireland with their scrum half Conor Murray scoring a try in the first five minutes of the match. This was a dream start for Ireland. Ireland then won the ball from the resulting kick off. The referee he awarded ireland a penalty for an infringement at the breakdown. The fly half Johnny Sexton kicked the penalty down to just outside the All Blacks 22 . The next thing was that the Irish hooker Rory Best went over the All Blacks try line. It was the best start the irish could have got. It was 14 0 after twelve minutes.
The nest restart the All Blacks regained the ball and went through five or six phases the next thing the All blacks full back knocked the ball forward into the hands of the Irish full back who ran eighty meters and scored a tr. The resulting conversion was missed by Johnny Sexton. The All Blacks won the ball from the resulting restart went through four phases then the fly half Aaron Cruden grubber kicked through the Irish defence and the ball sat up perfectly for the All Blacks winger Julian Savea to put the ball down for an All Blacks try. It was 22 7 at halftime.
The second half started very slowly the All Blacks with most of the possession with no score for for the first ten minutes. the All Blacks were then camped on the Irish try line and eventually they cracked. The All Blacks scored a try from the sub prop Ben Franks. Aaron Cruden then kicked the conversion to make it 22 14 with twenty minutes remaining. Ireland then won a penalty after having the All Blacks under the cosh for five minutes. Johnny Sexton then missed the resulting penalty. The All Blacks regained the possession from the 22 drop out and had the ball then for eight or 9 phases and were just inside the Irish half. It took a few minutes for the All Blacks captain Richie McCaw to decide whether to put the ball in the corner or go for the posts in the end he decided to go for the posts. Aaron Cruden managed to put the ball between the posts. It was 22 17 with 15 minutes to go.
The last ten minutes were very nerve wracking with the game ebbing and flowing. With two minutes to go the Irish team had the ball inside the All Blacks half and the Irish scrum half decided to box kick it from the ruck and the ball went straight to an All Blacks player and they went on the counter attack but fortunately for Ireland the fly half managed to knock the ball on . The ball was back with the Irish. The irish kept very tight for a minute with 30 seconds to go the ball was in an irish ruck. The referee then gave New Zealand a penalty for the Irish being off their feet in the ruck. The All Blacks then went through through 6 phases making about 40 meters in the process. The ball then came out of a ruck and went through the hands and the sub Ryan Crotty went over in the corner to level the game at 22 a piece. with a kick for New Zealand to win it. Aaron Cruden stepped to take the conversion. The Irish players started to run from behind the the try line. Cruden missed the kick. The All Blacks captain went up to the referee and started taking. New Zealand got to take the conversion again and Cruden put it over and New Zealand won and kept their unbeaten record for the year. The Irish were heartbroken after the defeat but they had come so close to history.
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