“It’s the chance of a lifetime,” coach Andy Farrell warned before the game. And obviously, this dream came true this Saturday. After beating the All Blacks (23-12) last week, the XV of Clover did it again this Saturday by winning for the second consecutive time against the All Blacks (32-22).
Thanks to this victory, Ireland entered the history of the oval by becoming the first nation to win a series of tests on New Zealand soil since France in 1994. A resounding achievement because it is only the fourth time the All Blacks have lost a summer home tour (the other times were against South Africa in 1937, against the British and Irish Lions in 1971, and of course, against the Habs in 1994).
“It’s a very special day because we played against the best in the world. Coming here and doing what we did is very, very special. We can see how much we believed in it. We owe it thanks to someone very special too, Faz (Andy Farrell) ”, enthused Jonathan Sexton, captain of Ireland, at the microphone of the BBC.
Ireland reclaim world number one spot
Author of four tries and a very conclusive first act, Ireland were able to count on their defense to resist the onslaught of New Zealand in the second period.
Thanks to this success, the XV of Clover will recover first place in the world rankings, occupied by France since last Monday after their victory against Japan and their series of ten consecutive successes this season. A first since 2019. Like what, good news never comes alone.