"Even more poignant than the result in front of delirious Irish expats was the way Ireland lined up when facing the haka. Anthony Foley, the beloved No 8 when Ireland and Munster first emerged from the amateur era to stake a claim to pre-eminence in the professional one, had died suddenly in his sleep three weeks earlier. As the All Blacks performed their pre-match ritual, Ireland stood in a figure of eight, quiet, emotional and resolute, in one of the more beautiful moments in sport."
"If we include that win in 2016 (followed two weeks later by defeat to same in Dublin), the ledger since reads five wins apiece. Parity indeed. In the current world rankings, the All Blacks are second, 0.19 ranking points ahead of Ireland in third. Furthermore, that ledger read Ireland five, New Zealand three not so long ago. And then the quarter-final, in Paris, of the World Cup happened, a fabulous weekend for rugby fans in general,"
Ireland take on New Zealand at Soldier Field in Chicago, evoking the landmark 5 November 2016 victory when Ireland beat the All Blacks 40-0. That 2016 win included an emotional tribute to Anthony Foley as Ireland stood in a figure of eight while facing the haka. Including the Chicago result, the head-to-head ledger now reads five wins apiece. The All Blacks sit second in the world rankings, just 0.19 points ahead of Ireland in third. A recent World Cup quarter-final in Paris proved a dark day for Irish supporters despite Ireland’s broader run of success.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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