In decades to come rugby historians will pay relatively little attention to the losers of this agonisingly wonderful game. The record books will forever hail New Zealand as the first side in the professional era to win all their Tests in a calendar year, an achievement worthy of the utmost respect. Ireland, as they have done for 108 years against these opponents, must settle for what might have been.
And yet. Anyone who watched this match will remember it as one of the great modern internationals, a contest good enough to restore the most jaded of oval-ball faiths. With fewer than 30 seconds remaining, Ireland were ahead 22-17 and seemingly on course for their own slice of history's pie. Had it stayed that way not a single New Zealander could have claimed a miscarriage of justice.
But it didn't and they don't have to. Instead the visitors "survived a shit storm" as their coach Steve Hansen bluntly described it, condemning Brian O'Driscoll and others to an entire career of not knowing how it feels to beat the All Blacks. Sometimes sport can be simultaneously life-enhancing and mind-bendingly cruel. From an Irish perspective this was like winning the lotto and then tossing the crucial ticket over the Cliffs of Moher. As their coach Joe Schmidt, himself a Kiwi, succinctly put it: "To be a minute away from history and have the ball in your hands on their 10-metre line … it's devastating."
When they replay the tape the Irish, who led 19-0 after 18 minutes, will curse more loudly still. Even after the home side had been penalised deep into the 80th minute the All Blacks were still a long gallop from glory. "We were 60 metres from our line and I'd have been confident of holding them out the way we'd defended for the rest of the game," confirmed their skipper Paul O'Connell. Instead the world champions, with Ben Smith and Ma'a Nonu both making critical yardage, gradually wore down the defensive line and Aaron Cruden and Dane Coles worked the replacement Ryan Crotty over on the left, the score confirmed after the tensest of TMO referrals.
If the prospect of a draw was deflating enough, worse was in store. Cruden's first conversion drifted left but the referee Nigel Owens, who played no small part in encouraging a memorable contest, ordered a retake after several Irish players, headed by Luke Fitzgerald, rushed out prematurely. As so often happens, sod's law applied and Cruden's second attempt flew straight through to clinch his team's uniquely successful status. "It's not particularly relevant to us," sighed Schmidt, declining to kick up a fuss. "A draw would have been as good as a loss to us. We haven't won in 108 years against these guys. We didn't want to do what we've done before."
It was all too reminiscent of the 1991 Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the old Lansdowne Road when Australia's Michael Lynagh broke Irish hearts with the coolest of last-gasp tries. But this was New Zealand, which made it even worse for old-timers like O'Driscoll, O'Connell and Gordon D'Arcy. All of them, along with Sean O'Brien, Cian Healy, Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray were outstanding, the speed and aggression of their defensive line rarely allowing the All Blacks to settle. What saved the visitors was the belief all champion teams have, the confidence there is always a solution if you stay patient enough.
This 14th win from 14 games in 2013, though, was fraught from the outset. The Irish looked a different team to the one tamely beaten by Australia, a prolonged spell of early pressure yielding a fifth‑minute try for Murray. An apprehensive pre-match mood was further transformed when more frenzied approach work from O'Brien helped stretch the All Black defence and Rory Best, who later broke a bone in his arm, dummied his way over on the right. By the time Rob Kearney grabbed an interception to race 80 metres the crowd were going potty and scenting the impossible.
Some of the damage was repaired when Julian Savea collected a smart diagonal cross-kick from Cruden but a further Jonathan Sexton penalty still ensured Ireland led 22-7 at the interval. Could they hang on? The huge first-half effort had clearly taken its toll on Irish legs but this was also New Zealand's seventh Test match in nine gruelling weeks. There was a further bonus for Ireland when Israel Dagg was held up over the try-line in the third quarter, the All Blacks' customary ruthlessness starting to fray at the edges.
A missed Cruden penalty with 25 minutes left also did them no favours but Ireland lost O'Driscoll with a blow to the head and a 65th-minute try for Ben Franks set up a frantically tense finale. Had Sexton not sliced a tired-looking penalty wide with six minutes to go the outcome might have been different but these are no ordinary foes. In 28 Tests under Hansen New Zealand have now managed 26 wins and one draw, including come-from-behind wins at Ellis Park and Twickenham. This one will warm Kiwi cockles indefinitely.
Ireland R Kearney; Bowe, O'Driscoll (Fitzgerald, 53), D'Arcy, D Kearney; Sexton (Madigan, 76), Murray; Healy (McGrath, 69), Best (Cronin, 15), Ross (Fitzpatrick, 65), Toner (McCarthy, 65), O'Connell (capt), O'Mahony (McLaughin, 56), O'Brien, Heaslip.
Tries Murray, Best, R Kearney. Cons Sexton 2. Pen Sexton.
New Zealand Dagg (Crotty, 52); Jane (Barrett, 66), B Smith, Nonu, Savea; Cruden, A Smith; Crockett (B Franks, 60), Hore (Coles, 42), Faumuina (O Franks, 57), Retallick, S Whitelock, Luatua (Messam, 57), McCaw (capt), Read.
Tries Savea, B Franks, Crotty. Cons Cruden 3. Pen Cruden.
Referee N Owens (Wales). Att 51,700.
