For 111 years Ireland have tried — and failed — to beat New Zealand at rugby union.
So Saturday’s 40-29 victory over the world champions in Chicago, ending the All Blacks’ record 18-match winning streak, was very sweet indeed.
Only once, in 1973, had Ireland even managed to draw with the New Zealanders. In their last three games, they have come close twice, denied in 2012 by Dan Carter’s late drop goal in Christchurch and by a late score a year later in Dublin.
“It’s an awesome day for the Irish, not just for this team but for the 28 teams that have gone before us,” fullback Rob Kearney said.
New Zealand’s players had spent much of the build-up lining up to explain how none of them wanted to be in the team who finally lost. Now they are, and they should have few complaints.
From the moment the face of Anthony Foley, the former Munster coach who died last month, appeared on the big screen at the stadium, there was something special in the air.
Ireland’s players confirmed it by lining up as a figure eight, Foley’s number, to face the haka. It is impossible to overstate the effect his death has had on Ireland’s rugby community and how Foley would have relished this win, rooted as it was in all the best Munster virtues.
Ireland never gave an inch, disrupting New Zealand’s line-out at every opportunity and hitting them when they were most vulnerable after Joe Moody was sin-binned for upending Robbie Henshaw.
Two tries quickly followed from Jordi Murphy and CJ Stander against the 14 men, with Conor Murphy providing a magical third with an impish break.
By the time Johnny Sexton added Ireland’s fourth try, the chants of “Olé, olé, olé”, Ireland’s great football anthem, echoed round the stunned stadium. Of course, the celebrations were premature, but for once Ireland were not on the wrong end of a last-gasp sucker punch.
Instead, Henshaw popped up to secure his place in Irish legend.
There could have been no more appropriate venue.
The Chicago Cubs triumphed in baseball’s world series last week after 108 years. Ireland beat New Zealand after 111 years.
Chicago, the city of dreams.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen offered no excuses for his side’s loss. “In the first half they had all the momentum and we talked before the game about not giving away avoidable penalties but because of the pressure we did and they built momentum and we were chasing them,” he said.
New Zealand gave away seven penalties to only three by a disciplined Irish side.
"The Irish played very well and congratulations to them," Hansen was quoted as saying on www.allblacks.com. "The right side won. We're not going to make any excuses about not having the right people."
New Zealand were missing three top locks in Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Luke Romano.
Hansen’s Ireland counterpart, and fellow New Zealander, Joe Schmidt, however, felt that that had been a factor.
“They are usually incredibly efficient and very parsimonious when it comes to allowing you to get some territory or some points,” Schmidt said.
Ireland had to withstand a ferocious fight back in the second half when New Zealand reduced the deficit from 25-8 at half time to 33-29 with a quarter of an hour remaining.
“I’m incredibly proud of how the boys put themselves out and worked incredibly hard at 33-29 with that All Black wave,” Schmidt said.
The two sides meet again in Dublin on November 19 after New Zealand’s visit to Italy and Ireland’s home game with Canada next weekend.
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