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The key moments from the All Blacks' World Cup win over Ireland

October 15, 2023

The All Blacks have defied the odds to earn their place in the semi-finals of this year's Rugby World Cup after stunning World No.1 Ireland 28-24 in Paris this morning.

The match had a bit of everything - controversial calls, yellow cards, a penalty try, and two instances of 30-plus phases of play.

Here's all the key moments from this morning's incredible match at Stade de France.

0min: Ireland respond to All Blacks haka

Ireland players formed a figure eight in response to the All Blacks haka.

Before the match even starts, there's a sense of what is to come.

As the All Blacks lay down their challenge with Kapa o Pango, Ireland respond with a figure-eight formation in honour of former Irish player and Munster coach Anthony Foley, who died in Paris seven years ago aged just 42.

If the formation wasn't enough, the proud Irish fans in the stands do their best to drown out the All Blacks with a rendition of The Fields of Athenry and to their credit, it's a decent job.

6min: All Blacks take the lead

The All Blacks open the match with 30 uninterrupted phases of play against Ireland.

It allows them to settle into the match after early signs of nerves and at the end of it, they earn a penalty as Ireland finally crack to relentless pressure being mounted in their half.

The All Blacks use it to take an early lead in the contest via a penalty kick from Richie Mo'unga.

9min: Ireland turn down early penalty

Ireland almost immediately earn a chance to respond with three points of their own as Ardie Savea is penalised for getting caught up at the bottom of a ruck.

However, the World No.1 Irish riding high on a 17-Test winning streak, back themselves for more and turn down the three points on offer, instead kicking for the corner.

They win the ensuing lineout but moments later are bundled into touch and end up with nothing to show for their early trip to the New Zealand 22.

To rub salt in the wound, Jordie Barrett then responds minutes later with a long-range penalty to double the Kiwi lead.

19min: Beaudie brilliance sparks opening try

Leicester Fainga'anuku scores against Ireland.

As dubbed in 1News' live updates, a piece of Beauden Barrett brilliance sparks the first try of the match.

Ireland go searching for territory with a deep kick but that just gives Barrett a tonne of room to work with as he eyes an attack in broken play and he finds it.

Barrett opts for a chip over the top - a kick the All Blacks used to great effect in the match - and recovers it before soaking up a massive hit from James Lowe.

But the ball is recycled quickly and moved to the left wing where Rieko Ioane and Leicester Fainga'anuku combine to finish the play in the corner.

27min: Aki beats three to score Ireland's first

Ireland show signs of life as their in-form midfielder Bundee Aki finishes a brilliant solo effort to score.

The try had been coming for some time with Ireland making good metres on attack, but it takes Aki stepping inside two defenders and fending off a third before going over the chalk to get Ireland their first try.

Sexton adds the extras from in front and suddenly there's an air of nerves for Kiwi fans.

33min: Savea dives in the corner to extend lead

Ardie Savea shows he also has the skillset of a winger with a flying finish in the corner to get the All Blacks back on top.

However, he only got the chance to do so thanks to an impressive 50-22 kick from Jordan moments prior.

Having earned a penalty advantage from referee Wayne Barnes on the previous play, Jordan opts to try his luck with no one home from Ireland and his kick is pinpoint as it bounces into touch.

That gives the All Blacks a lineout 5m out and, moments later, an impressive finish from Savea in the corner.

36min: Smith sent to the sin bin

Aaron Smith leaves the field after being yellow-carded against Ireland.

Aaron Smith is sent to the bin.

The veteran halfback puts a hand out looking to, at best, intercept an offload as Ireland make a break near the New Zealand 22 but it instead comes off his hand and is knocked down.

Referee Barnes penalises him for it but after intervention from the TMO, it is upgraded to a yellow card as it's deemed to be intentional and denying Ireland an attacking play.

Ireland score moments later off the penalty and we have a one-point contest at halftime.

44min: All Blacks survive with 14 men

Ireland come out firing looking to add to their score with Smith still in the bin and decide a kick of the corner with the All Blacks defence in tight is the best option.

Mo'unga is forced to scramble back and contest the ball and he does enough to force a handling error from the Irish.

That allows for a scrum to be set and with the clock chewed up enough, Smith returns to the field without Ireland adding any more points for his 10-minute break.

52min: Crusaders duo combine for stunning try

The old Crusaders teammates deliver a stunner.

Off a lineout 10m inside their own half, the All Blacks attack the Irish line with Mo'unga who gets inside his defender and bursts into the backfield.

As he weighs up his options, it becomes clear what he has to do - Jordan is running a support line outside him and so the first-five draws and passes before leaving his wing to finish in the corner.

There's still some work for Jordan to do as Ireland's Hugo Keenan comes across to tackle him 5m out but Jordan does enough to finish and with it, scores the first points of the second half.

Jordie Barrett, crucially, takes the conversion from the sideline and slots it.

58min: Sexton misses crucial penalty

Pressure appears to be mounting for the Irish as their talisman Johnny Sexton misses an easy penalty goal from 35 metres out.

Everyone has been expecting the Irish to finally break their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal curse in their eighth attempt but with just over 20 minutes to go, they're trailing by two scores.

Sexton isn't looking for seven-pointers anymore like he was at the start of the match. He knows the challenge is there now and instead grabs his tee.

But his kick is pulled to the left of the sticks and a hush falls over the Irish-favoured crowd.

64min: Taylor sees yellow as Ireland given penalty try

Wayne Barnes.

Wayne Barnes and big calls in a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal - what a combo.

Ireland have a lineout five metres from the New Zealand line and after winning the contested throw, set a maul and get a move on.

They hit the chalk as the drive collapses and while it's hard to see anything in amongst the pile of bodies, Barnes has already blown his whistle and headed for underneath the uprights.

He's awarded a penalty try.

But not only have the All Blacks given up seven points on the play - Codie Taylor is also the one punished for the maul's collapse and he is sent to the bin as well.

Once again, it's a one point game and the All Blacks are down to 14 men.

67min: Outnumbered ABs win penalty at scrum

Ireland are perhaps caught offguard by the All Blacks' weakened scrum as young guns Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell and wily vet Dane Coles earn a penalty despite being down a man.

The new-look front row skewer their opposite and force the scrum to turn, eventually leading the Irish to collapse and Barnes to blow his whistle.

That prompts Jordie Barrett to again step up from distance for a penalty goal effort but he too misses and the game remains suspended by one point.

Until...

68min: Barrett nails critical penalty

Moments later, Beauden Barrett puts up a high, contestable kick which his brother gives chase to.

It's coming down 10m inside the Irish half but as he's looking to contest it, Jordie Barrett is clearly held back by an Irish player.

Interestingly though, despite the clear foul play, there is no intervention from the TMO about a potential yellow card and so the All Blacks settle for another penalty goal attempt which Barrett makes sure of this time.

71min: Barrett try-saver, Doris' huge drop

Ireland are right back on the attack with a penalty and this time, with Taylor still in the bin, they kick for the corner looking to steal the lead.

The All Blacks opt not to contest this lineout and instead pile in for the maul.

Ireland sets it and once again are driving towards the line however as they go for the try, it's Jordie Barrett who has managed to wrap up Ronan Kelleher and held the ball up over the line.

To make matters worse for Ireland, the All Blacks are then well and truly let off the hook after their goal line dropout is dropped cold by Irish No.8 Caelan Doris.

The All Blacks use the scrum to chew up some clock and soon after, are back to their full 15.

77min: Ireland's final surge

After a wayward drop goal attempt from Beauden Barrett, the All Blacks again opt to give the ball away with a kick that is taken in by the Irish 10 metres inside their half.

That kick starts what will go down as possibly one of the gutsiest defensive displays the black jersey has ever seen as Ireland attempt to go 60 metres with less than three minutes left to rewrite history.

80+2min: All Blacks win penalty, and the game

Ardie Savea celebrates after the All Blacks are awarded a penalty to end the match.

After an astounding 37 phases of uninterrupted play, which saw Ireland grind their way to within 15 metres of the New Zealand line without the All Blacks' defence ever truly breaking, experience comes to the fore and ends it all.

Sam Whitelock, the most-capped All Black of all time and off the bench for his 151st Test, combines with longtime locking partner Brodie Retallick to stop Kelleher dead in his tracks.

But while Retallick is cleaned out, Whitelock is in and over the ball and he has every right to be there.

Kelleher won't release it, knowing if he does the game is over, but in doing so Barnes effectively ends the game instead with a penalty awarded to Whitelock and the All Blacks.

The ball is kicked out, the celebrations starts, and history - whether it be good or bad - is written.

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