Ireland declined the opportunity to once again play New Zealand on neutral soil. That is according to Derek Foley in today's Irish Daily Star.
It is said that Ireland will play the All Blacks next year but it will be just a single fixture rather than the two played in November 2016.
Ireland's first victory against the All Blacks came in Chicago's Soldier Field last November. Though, they would gain revenge a fortnight later in a bruising game at the Aviva.
The New Zealand Rugby Union apparently also wanted to play Ireland in the Netherlands, in a fixture which would have fallen outside of the designated November window. Feyenoord's De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam was a possible venue for the game. However, the match would reportedly have seen the IRFU only receive expenses.
That Ireland will again play the All Blacks so soon in a November international comes as welcome news. This year's fixtures have had an undoubted flatness - certainly in comparison to last year's two games against the All Blacks, coupled with the wins against Canada and Australia.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
