Steve Hansen’s modus operandi at press conferences is to open with a few sentences to set the tone. He did it here in Chicago to get out first and give credit to the team who had just won for the first time in this fixture after 111 years of trying.
“We allowed ourselves to be dominated in the first half and we didn’t control possession and that was down to Ireland,” he said. “To come back to 29-33 in the circumstances, with injuries and everything, was a pretty brave effort but in the end it was just one step too far to go. But as I said: great credit to Ireland and I hope they enjoy their victory. And it’s great that we’re in a city like Chicago where there are so many fans here to be able to enjoy it. So congratulations to them.”
Three years ago he might have been congratulating the same opposition if they had hung on to a lead they should never have surrendered. That game was in the very early days of Joe Schmidt’s reign, and making sure games did not slip away like that again has been high on his agenda.
“They certainly learned how to close it,” Hansen said. “And when we had to put Ardie on the wing I thought they played really smart: they went into his zone. It was smart play by them, and credit to them for that.
“People will say ‘Oh, you were missing two locks,’ but we haven’t got any excuses. We were just beaten by a better side on the day. That happens when you play good sides. And we’ve been saying for quite some time they’re a good team.”
Schmidt did what you would have expected and eased up on the accelerator given that the rematch, in Dublin, is in a fortnight. “I really thought there was some great cohesion out there, and sometimes it’s about character more than cohesion,” he said. “And that was evident out there today.”
His captain, Rory Best, was quick to explain why the team had done a lap of honour at the end.
“You’ve got to take a moment when you create history and I suppose, knowing Joe, it will probably be a brief moment we’ll be allowed.
“I think it’s quite hard to sit here and it’s a massive thing for us, and it’s a massive mark of respect we have for the All Blacks that it means so much to us because they’re such a quality side. And they’ve shown it this entire season, and to break our duck against such a quality side is a massive thing for us. We want to make sure we celebrate it our way. We’ve also got to be humble and respect this team we’ve beaten.”
The day had started for Ireland with a unique set-up to face the haka. The Ireland players formed a figure eight to remember Munster’s Anthony Foley, who died last month.
“It was the national team’s first time together since his passing, so we felt that it was the right thing to do,” Best said.
“And then to put the Munster boys at the front of that figure eight – that just felt like the right thing as well. It was our way as an Irish national team to show a mark of respect to Axel and his family.”
