It was heartbreak for Ireland as they missed out on a rare chance of beating the All Blacks with the visitors scoring an injury time converted try to pinch the game 22 – 24.
Ireland led 22 -17 as the clock went into the red zone but Crotty’s try, converted at the second attempt by Cruden, broke Irish hearts and silenced the crowd as New Zealand finished 2013 with 14 wins out of 14 played.
I’d said before the game that I didn’t expect much from Ireland, particularly after their capitulation to Australia last weekend, but the ageing Leinster players O’Driscoll and D’Arcy, together with Munster’s Paul O’Connell proved they deserved their last tilt at New Zealand after a furious opening 20 minutes which had the All Blacks reeling. Though playing an injured Sexton ahead of the inform Jackson was a questionable decision to say the least.
In an astonishing opening quarter Ireland clocked up tries from Conor Murray, Rory Best and, a length of the field effort from, Rob Kearney to . . .
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