57-15, 36-17, 41-13, 57-22, 29-9, 42-8.
New Zealand’s winning margins in the Rugby Championship made terrifying reading ahead of Saturday’s Test in Chicago and will have illustrated, plain as day, to the Irish players the scale of the task facing them.
The All Blacks were on a world-record 18-game winning streak and, as we all know, in 111 years and 28 attempts Ireland had never beaten the Kiwis.
Despite not playing together since the summer Tour of South Africa and having a travel-interrupted week of preparation, Ireland came with a game plan, Ireland came with an intensity that was hard to contend with, but most of all they came with a work ethic that would put Alexey Stakhanov to shame.
Fucking hell https://t.co/ZoJfdhxMkR
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 5, 2016
The match statistics from ESPNÂ show just how hard the Irish players had to work to earn their historic 40-29 victory.
Despite possession and territory being shared equally, Ireland attempted 135 tackles to New Zealand’s 97 as the All Blacks ran for 514 metres compared to Ireland’s 194.
Perhaps the most startling of the team statistics however is the penalty count. When the All Blacks beat Australia in Twickenham to claim back-to-back World Cups they conceded a mere seven penalties, on Saturday night in Chicago they were pinged 12 (TWELVE) times.
Front-row forwards Joe Moody and Dane Coles were the worst offenders, each conceding three penalties – prop Moody was lucky to escape with a yellow card for a tip tackle on Robbie Henshaw and could have been sent off when he made another dangerous, high tackle on Rob Kearney in the second half.
New Zealand’s penalty count was all the more remarkable when you consider Ireland conceded just four penalties in the entire match. You can imagine that will make Joe Schmidt as happy as the five tries.
When you dig down into the individual performances a couple of players stand out.
He scored the insurance try with a powerful surge and athletic twist, but how Henshaw still had the energy to do so is a mystery. The Leinster centre made 12 tackles, missing one, while carrying 10 times for 26 metres. Those are phenomenal numbers for an inside centre, especially one coming up against Ryan Crotty and George Moala.
Only full-back Kearney (56 metres) and Conor Murray (26 metres) made more ground than the former Connacht player.
The All Blacks targeted the midfield and the defensive efforts of Henshaw and outside partner Jared Payne were not all about numbers – the sheer ferocity of their tackling was central to repelling the World Champions.
Henshaw’s tackling numbers were bettered only by loose forwards CJ Stander (14) and Josh van der Flier (13). Who knows how many tackles the latter would have made if he had been on from the start, rather than replacing Jordi Murphy after 26 minutes.
The news isn't good for Jordi Murphy.
Such a shame. pic.twitter.com/H98pWc5jap— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 6, 2016
It looks like Van der Flier will get a few more opportunities this month at the expense of Murphy, who could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Stats don’t tell you everything of course, they don’t paint a picture of the sheer effort made by props Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong, or the stonewall defence of Andrew Trimble, but they do add further understanding to just how 111 years of hurt were ended in Soldier Field on Saturday.
Who are the winners of the much-coveted 2016 Wooly Awards? Find out in our GAA Hour Special
