Aww man, as much as my heart wanted to believe in an Eden Park miracle, the head and more importantly 32 years of history knew better!
The mood inside that Stadium was another level, and the Haka had some proper venom in it, those in the expensive seats could probably already see the Ireland team losing confidence before a ball was even kicked.
In the end the All Blacks easily extended their unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 53 consecutive Tests with an emphatic victory, barring a few blips it was a masterclass of clinical execution to beat Ireland 40–21 in Round 3 of the Nations Championship.
Ireland did show some fight in the second half, but by then due to a brutal first-half onslaught from New Zealand, which left Ireland trailing 28–7 at the break, the mountain was simply far too far to climb.
Here's a breakdown of how the match unfolded and, most importantly for us, how the Ulster contingent fared throughout the match.
The Ulster Boys: Player Evaluation
Having four Ulster men front and center against the All Blacks was a huge point of pride going into the fixture. However, when a team is under the pump, individual highlights can be hard to come by. Here’s how they performed:
Tom O’Toole (Loosehead Prop – Starter) Performance: Solid at the set-piece, but limited in open play.
Evaluation: Held his ground in the scrum, one of the few areas of the pitch where Ireland operated at 100% stability. However, the All Blacks’ aggressive defensive killed Ireland's ruck ball, leaving them constantly having to over resource. For the most part O’Toole prevented from displaying any dynamic, tackle-busting carries, the like of which we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him in a Ulster jersey. 6/10
Stuart McCloskey (Inside Centre – Starter) Performance: A tough day at the office, probably wishes he'd stayed at home
Evaluation: McCloskey was targeted early by New Zealand’s physical center line, with Quinn Tupaea holding him up in a tackle. You could argue that his physical presence was vital in defense, but he still took a beating in that area as well. The loose pass in the 35th minute was a howler, chronic indecision likely brought on by relentless All Blacks pressure. It allowed Will Jordan to pounce for a classic All Black turnover try. 4/10
Robert Baloucoune (Right Wing – Starter) Performance: Starved of quality possession.
Evaluation: Baloucoune’s selection was supposed to unlock New Zealand out wide, but with Ireland basically under the pump for the entire first half, and large parts of the second half, it was always going to be a tough item to deliver. He worked pretty hard defensively under high-ball pressure from both Jordie Barrett and Damian McKenzie, but due to how the match played out never got the chance to showcase his finishing. Barely got a touch of the ball in the first half! 5/10
Nick Timoney (Back Row – Impact Sub) Performance: High energy off the pine.
Evaluation: Coming on in the second half, (especially after what had happened in the first half) somehow Timoney still managed to inject much-needed urgency into Ireland’s breakdown work. He carried hard into heavy traffic and contributed to the mini-comeback via tries from Joe McCarthy and Hugo Keenan. Probably did just enough to reinforce his status as an indispensable impact player when the game opens up. 6/10
Match Highlights & Standout Performers
🌟 Official Man of the Match: Damian McKenzie (New Zealand)
The All Blacks fullback was an absolute menace from start to finish, he was everywhere on the pitch! McKenzie ran circles around Ireland’s defense, easily topped the match in defenders beaten, and also had the pleasure of scoring New Zealand’s fifth try in the 56th minute. When Ruben Love departed due to injury, McKenzie moved to fly-half and made the transition look effortless.
Honourable Mention: Will Jordan was frankly equally terrifying on the wing scoring his 51st Test try off the aforementioned turnover, also made a goal-line saving tackle on Ciarán Frawley, and was heavily involved in helping send Anton Lienert-Brown over for the final score.
Key Match Moments
First-Half Blitz: Seriously 'blitz' is the correct term here, New Zealand came out of the traps like a unit possessed, struck early and often with tries from Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, Will Jordan, and Asafo Aumua. They capitalized ruthlessy on almost every Ireland handling error, no mercy was shown!
The Yellow Card Window: Ireland’s only real first-half bright spot came when Luke Jacobson was sent to the sin bin, during this period Jack Conan was able to power over for Ireland’s first try. The 'no hands' clear out from Jacobson at the ruck on Josh Van Der Flier was pretty cynical but somehow the yellow wasn't escalated to a red - Very luck in my honest opinion!
Second-Half Fighting Spirit: In all fairness Ireland didn't fold completely. Joe McCarthy made his way across the line after halftime and Hugo Keenan added a third on the hour mark, but the story of the match was every time Ireland threatened to build any real momentum, the All Blacks dropped the pedal and simply pulled away.
Final Thoughts
A stark reality check for Andy Farrell’s side. Missing key personnel through injury didn't help, but New Zealand's accuracy and speed at the breakdown were levels above on the day. The calendar schedule of the match is an oddity, Ireland coming to the end of a long season, whereas the All Blacks were only 3 matches into a new season.
For the Ulster lads, it’s a tough lesson on the highest stage, but gaining 80 minutes of experience inside the Eden Park pressure cooker will only benefit them—and Ulster—heading into the rest of the season.
What did you think of the match? Did anyone manage to stay up/wake up early for the 8:10 AM kickoff? The pre-match ceremony was amazing, both choir and the Haka. Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments! 🍀👇
