Rugby World Cup: at the end of a crazy match, the All Blacks beat Ireland and reach the final four

Fierce, intense, breathtaking, difficult to find a superlative to match this second World Cup quarter-final. This Saturday evening at the Stade de France, New Zealand won against the world number one nation, Ireland (28-24). The All Blacks were expected in this match. After being beaten against Antoine Dupont's XV of France (27-13) at the opening of the competition, Beauden Barrett's teammates crushed Namibia, Uruguay then Italy. No big tests, then. But this Saturday, they demonstrated that the All Blacks remain the All Blacks. Ian Foster's men therefore join the last four and will face the Pumas, who defeated Wales earlier in the day (29-17).

What state were you in from the start of the match, when the All Blacks chained 30 sequences of play in the Irish 20 meters? Tired even on the couch? It's normal. At the end of all this playing time, Mo'unga converted the first penalty of the match (8th). Established defensively, the New Zealanders took the Irish at their own game and offered a real ruck war. Savea scratched a ball and obtained a penalty, transformed by long-distance striker Jordie Barrett (14th). But the All Blacks didn't stop there. On a knockdown from Aaron Smith after a nice number from Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane combined with Fainga'anuku, the future Toulon player, who flattened the first try of the match (19th).

At that point in the match, the All Blacks had already made the break... But that was without taking into account the reaction of the XV du Trèfle. Jonathan Sexton's teammates first passed a penalty before Bundee Aki, the man in form of the moment, flattened the Irish's first try (27th). On a new New Zealand offensive, Ardie Savea, served at the end of the line, allowed his team to regain a greater advantage (33rd). Just before the break, the native of Auckland (New Zealand) but Irishman Jamison Gibson-Park dropped out to allow his team to come back to within a point of their evening opponent at half-time.

Aaron Smith's yellow card before the end of the first half had no more impact at the start of the second half. And five minutes before the hour mark, Richie Mo'unga pierced the Irish defense before serving the inevitable Will Jordan. The New Zealand winger scored his team's third try and gave his team a new comfortable advantage. In a hot and boiling cauldron, the XV of Clover, pushed by an impressive colony of Irish supporters, came back to a point thanks to a penalty try. Double sanction for Beauden Barrett's teammates, who were at the same time sanctioned with a yellow card against Codie Taylor.

But the All Blacks broke out again in a cold sweat on a new touch from five meters eight minutes from time. But center Jordie Barrett, after passing three points, turned Kelleher in his in-goal to avoid a try... And at the end of a gigantic sequence of nearly 35 phases of play, the Irish, without a solution, folded and see their World Cup end at the quarter-final stage. The New Zealanders strike a big blow and join Argentina in the semi-final of the World Cup.