All Blacks feel the heat as Ireland stand on brink of history

Amid the alarm bells ringing in the land of the long white cloud, the Irish are closing in on what could become a landmark in their proud rugby history – a maiden series victory on New Zealand soil.  

Ireland were in high spirits last weekend after they managed to topple the mighty All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time: 

In addition to the historical significance of the victory, it put the Irish back within grasping distance of the series as a whole. If they are to tick this revered box, however, they will have to brace themselves to weather a ferocious black tide as Sam Cane’s men will be feeling a pressure the weight of which could render them steely-eyed and ruthless in their pursuit of victory. 

As is custom, the loss was not well received in New Zealand, sparking criticism from all corners. One particular voice caught attention – that of legendary All Black Wayne “Buck” Shelford. 

“We didn’t lose by much but it was the way we lost,” Shelford told Stuff. “The turnover rate, the stupid penalties we gave away. Our discipline was terrible. 

“We haven’t upped our game, in terms of our backs’ attack. Our catching and passing, at times, is horrific. For guys of this calibre, I just think it is abysmal.” 

Sexton revelled in the win, delighted at his group of players etching their names into history forever. 

“Anytime you create a little bit of history, it means a lot,” he said. “It’s a very, very special day for everyone in the country. 

“We talk about it a lot, we talk about making people at home feel very proud of us. It’s right at the top of our list. 

“I think the effort that we put in last week we didn’t get the rewards. Same effort again this week, it was touch and go at times.” 

In the wake of the defeat, Sam Cane looked ahead to the decider. 

“The drive is massive,” he said. “We were hugely disappointed with what we dished out on Saturday. We need to be so much better. Our drive is the fact we have pride in the jersey, we’re not happy with what we put out and we’ll be working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

“It’s about channelling our emotions the right way. We’re angry, disappointed in ourselves, but there’s no point dwelling on that performance. We have to pick ourselves up and shift the mindset, highlighting the things we need to get better at. That’s quite energising and exciting, and then we save those other emotions for Saturday night.” 

All in all, the All Blacks are wounded and potentially very dangerous at the minute. However, despite the imminent threat, Ireland boss Andy Farrell is expressing positivity and encouraging his troops to rain fire down on their foes. 

"It really doesn’t get any better for us," he said. "We’ve talked about playing against the All Blacks when their backs are against the wall or they’ve come off a loss and we know what the history says about all that. 

"But that’s exactly where we want to be. We know they will be hurting, we know that they bounce back unbelievably strong. We’ve played them enough times now to realise what’s coming. Everyone realises the size of the task in hand but there’s a lot of excitement in being able to deal with that. 

"We’ll see whether there is that much improvement needed because we’re in control as well as them. They’ve got a plan, but it’s up to us to make sure we bring a bit of chaos to that plan. We’ve got to make sure that we put a bit of doubt in the All Blacks' minds as the game goes." 

New Zealand Head Coach Ian Foster kept his words brief ahead of the encounter. 

"It’s tough having a loss but the tough weeks are often the most exciting," he told the All Blacks' website. 

"A series decider against a high-quality side is a great occasion for our growth as a team." 

The Wellington crowd will be treated to a contest which has all the makings of a match that will live long in memory. Ireland’s hunger to make history will be tested by the All Blacks desperation to defend their hallowed jersey’s reputation.