New Zealand media praises captain Sam Cane praised for his performance against Ireland after ‘a class contest, one of the best in World Cup history’
Bundee Aki is tackled by Ardie Savea and Tamaiti Williams during the Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the Stade de France, Paris. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/InphoThe narrative will focus on the derring-do of an All Blacks side that demonstrated tremendous resilience, to complement obvious quality, in maintaining a death grip on victory in that fraught finale.
“On that pinnacle stage, the All Blacks proved their resilience and resolve to overcome the odds by knocking out Ireland, the world’s number one side, to halt their 17-Test unbeaten surge.” In the same newspaper Gregor Paul wrote under the headline “New Zealand’s Moment of Truth”, that “it came and tested them to their limits, probably beyond, but from the depth of their soul they dug out the most brilliant, brave, astonishing win.
“Ireland just kept coming at them, wave after wave of attack but the All Blacks kept tackling, kept covering and eventually, after goodness knows how many phases – probably 30 – Sam Whitelock pulled off the winning turnover and the glory was New Zealand’s.” Ireland's fullback Hugo Keenan is tackled by New Zealand's openside flanker and captain Sam Cane during the Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Saint-Denis, Paris. Photograph: Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images“In the lead-up to the match, Irish podcast Off the Ball laid bare the perceived failings of the New Zealand forward pack. The front row concedes too many penalties, the locks are old and don’t work hard enough and Sam Cane ‘doesn’t know how to ruck properly’.
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