MY ACCOUNT
Ireland dominated a record-breaking first half and held on for a second straight victory in New Zealand to triumph in their three-Test series against the All Blacks.
The tourists had been winless in 13 away matches against New Zealand prior to last weekend’s breakthrough success, which set up Saturday’s decider.
Andy Farrell’s side duly made it two in a row with a remarkable 32-22 win that required both style and spirit in Wellington.
A quite sensational first half saw Ireland 19 points in front at the interval at 22-3 – the biggest 40-minute deficit in All Black history.
Hugo Keenan’s stunning score was one of three tries, while Johnny Sexton kicked his way past 1,000 international points, becoming the eighth man to that mark.
New Zealand were unsurprisingly much improved after the break, and Andrew Porter’s yellow card for a head-on-head challenge gave them further impetus.
The second of two Sexton penalties bounced away off the crossbar between a pair of All Blacks tries, but Rob Herring’s superb score at full stretch gave Ireland breathing room to clinch a series success.
