Ireland slumped to their first home loss in almost four years on Friday night, as they looked completely sapped of energy in defeat to New Zealand in Dublin.
There was an electric atmosphere ahead of kick-off in the Aviva Stadium, with Peter O'Mahony leading the charge as Ireland responded to the Haka to get the crowd going.
The spectacle on the pitch once the game kicked off, however, was somewhat less scintillating.
Ireland and New Zealand have produced some sensational games in recent years but, on this particular occasion, it was a far more scrappy affair. Ireland enjoyed little attacking play in the first half, though they would get the game's first try through Josh van der Flier shortly after half-time.
𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐘𝐘𝐘𝐘𝐘𝐘! 🟢
Josh van der Flier gets the first try after big period of Irish pressure!
Crowley adds the extras!
🟢 13-9 ⚫️#IREvNZL | #AutumnNationsSeries pic.twitter.com/F39cJuUlfO— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 8, 2024
That try came with Jordie Barrett in the sin bin and, in truth, the lead flattered Ireland who had been extremely flat up to that point. From the moment the Leinster-bound Barrett returned to the field of play, New Zealand clicked and never looked back.
By the time Will Jordan went over in the corner for the All Blacks' first try, it was enough to give them a ten-point lead which they would not relinquish.
𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐍! ⚫️
A fifth try in five games against Ireland!
Ireland looking a little tired out there now.
🟢 13-23 ⚫️#IREvNZL | #AutumnNationsSeries pic.twitter.com/sxToowKcW9— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 8, 2024
It was Ireland's first defeat in Dublin since February 2021, on a night when they put in one of their poorest performances of the Andy Farrell era.
At full-time, Brian O'Driscoll pulled no punches on TNT Sports, saying that this Ireland performance was "unrecognisable" from what we have come to expect from Farrell's side.
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Brian O'Driscoll pinpoints key issue with Irish performance v All Blacks
Brian O'Driscoll cut a slightly more dejected figure than his compatriots pitchside on TNT Sports on Friday night. Alongside him, All Black legend Justin Marshall and head coach Scott Robertson were beaming after a stunning ten-point win for New Zealand against Ireland in the Aviva.
Speaking to Robertson, O'Driscoll pinpointed the lack of intensity that Ireland had brought to the rucks as a crucial reason why their "lazy" performance was punished.
Ireland got caught a little bit being lazy in the rucks. You had this ability to be able to make tackles and then having a second impact. Ireland were piling numbers into the rucks at the end and they were running out of ideas because they just didn't have the bodies!
They just got outmuscled in the end. When the purple patch came in, you thought, 'They need to kick on from there.' There were too many unforced errors...just quite clunky at times. Unrecognisable from what we've seen from them in the past. [It was] just very frustrating from their perspective and ours.
You'd imagine they will get better over the course of this November but they definitely got outphysicalled.
It was hard to argue with O'Driscoll's assessment, on a night when intensity was severely lacking from the hosts in Dublin. The penalty count, combined with the lack of effectiveness at ruck time, ultimately cost Andy Farrell's side big time.
There are some major learnings for Ireland to take from defeat to New Zealand if they are to bounce back on Friday against Argentina.
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