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League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Robbie Henshaw and New Zealand's Sam Cane in 2016. Billy Stickland/INPHO 'Chicago added a bit of spice' - Remembering the All Blacks' fiery 2016 win in Dublin New Zealand came to Aviva Stadium determined to prove a point following defeat in Chicago. 7.01am, 29 Oct 2025 Share options IRELAND 40 NEW ZEALAND 29. It was a scoreline that saw Irish Rugby make history, and one which sat deeply uncomfortably within the All Blacks camp. Ireland are back in Chicago this week for a repeat of that famous 2016 fixture, and while it will always stand as one of the great days for Irish Rugby, the rematch which followed in Dublin has also lived long in the memory. After becoming the first New Zealand team to lose to Ireland, Steve Hansen’s side travelled to Dublin determined to make a statement against Joe Schmidt’s men. The reaction across the New Zealand press post-Chicago made for interesting reading. The general consensus was Ireland had been fully deserving winners, with many welcoming the start of a new heavyweight rugby rivalry. “First Dublin 2013. Now this,” wrote Chris Rattue in the New Zealand Herald. “Forget England. Forget the Lions. The hottest rugby ticket is New Zealand versus Ireland, and who can wait for the Dublin rematch. Ireland have an excellent chance to make it two in a row.” There had been a sense New Zealand had their eye off the ball in Chicago. As the All Blacks touched down in Dublin ahead of that 19 November rematch, there was a different feeling in the air. Ireland knew a more focused challenge was coming, warning against an All Blacks backlash. “We recognised that straight away,” fullback Rob Kearney told reporters, “the New Zealand that’s going to come on Saturday is guaranteed to be different to the one that was in Chicago.” The All Blacks were based in Castleknock and were kept busy on the promotional side of things. Alongside the usual media duties, New Zealand’s Ryan Crotty, Ben Smith and a teenage Reiko Ioane were rolled out to take part in a skills challenge with Dublin GAA stars Bernard Brogan, Paddy Andrews and Liam Rushe, taking time to meet kids and sign autographs. In the more subdued setting of a Castleknock Hotel function room, we got a better sense of the renewed intensity in their preparations. “Having come off Chicago, there is a bit more of an edge,” said Brodie Retaillick, the powerful lock who had missed the Chicago fixture alongside second row partner Sam Whitelock. Their returns would add bite to the All Blacks’ pack in Dublin. “We probably let ourselves down as a team a wee bit in Chicago, and want to come here and rectify that. We’ve got to take control of the physical battle and our execution and then just play our game.” Jerome Kaino, who played 45 minutes in Soldier Field, echoed those thoughts. Advertisement “There’s a little bit of a nervous edge to the team given what happened in Chicago, knowing that we let ourselves down,” he said. “We don’t want to lose to be able to learn from it and bounce back and get an edge. We always try and create that edge week-in-week-out in this environment, but that loss in Chicago has just added a little bit of spice to the edge that we’ve got this week.” “There is an edge in the air,” added assistant coach Ian Foster. “Coming to Dublin and preparing to play Ireland is always pretty special for us. It’s a fantastic stadium, the supporters are amazing and I guess what’s happened in Chicago has just added a little bit more seasoning to it, hasn’t it? The boys are in a good spot. We’re following our normal process but there is a bit of an edge.” That ‘edge’ was immediately evident in the rematch, a fiery, hugely physical encounter on a cold November night. “Breathless, endless, brutal,” wrote Gregor Paul in The New Zealand Herald. “The commitment from both teams was total. The collisions were major – broken limb sort of stuff and yet players kept hitting each other and bouncing up.” Ireland’s injury count rose as New Zealand took control, turning an early 7-0 advantage into 14-3 and never looking like surrendering that lead. Robbie Henshaw was forced off after just 10 minutes, the centre floored by the shoulder of Sam Cane. Referee Jaco Peyper awarded a penalty, but no card. The home crowd booed as Schmidt shook his head disapprovingly in the coaching box. In the 18th minute Schmidt was turning to his bench again as Johnny Sexton limped off with a muscle injury. Four minutes later, CJ Stander was making way after suffering a head injury in a tackle by Israel Dagg. The collisions were bone-crunching, and at times discipline slipped out of control. New Zealand finished with a penalty count of 14, Ireland just four. Early in the second half Simon Zebo was flattened by a high arm from Malakai Fekitoa. That incident brought New Zealand’s second yellow card of the game – Aaron Smith was sent to the bin in the first half for an illegal ruck entry – but again, the crowd felt Peyper was too lenient. A ferociously-contested 80 minutes ended in a 21-9 win for the visitors, Beauden Barrett sprinkling his quality over the occasion as Ireland fought hard but struggled to create opportunities. The hosts enjoyed 67% possession and 70% territory but could only put three penalties on the scoreboard, with Barrett and Fekitoa (2) scoring the New Zealand tries. New Zealand left the Aviva Stadium feeling they had proven a point, and it was clear this rivalry would only intensify over the following years. Before departing Dublin, head coach Steve Hansen did a short media briefing the morning after the game. Naturally, his side’s discipline proved the major talking point. The New Zealand boss accepted Fekitoa’s action on Zebo was dangerous but brushed off the suggestion Cane had overstepped the line with his early hit on Henshaw – Fekitoa and Cane were both later cited, with Feikitoa handed a one-week ban. “The Rob Henshaw tackle was a head clash,” Hansen said. “I just reviewed it again there this morning and they have collided heads. It wasn’t a high tackle so he was knocked out as soon as they knocked heads but Mala’s (Feikitoa) one was high. He just needs to have a look at that. It’s clumsy and it’s not the way we want to play. He’ll be spoken to but it was a physical Test match. That’s what you expect when you get two good sides playing each other. “There was plenty of things on both sides. There was neck rolls and all sorts of things going on that were missed and that we could sit and complain about but when you get a physical Test match you get a physical Test match and that’s what it was. No quarter asked and no quarter given.” Chicago had finally put Ireland on New Zealand’s radar as a genuine threat. The All Blacks’ response in Dublin was evidence they now saw this as a proper rivalry. Ciarán Kennedy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'Chicago added a bit of spice' - Remembering the All Blacks' fiery 2016 win in Dublin”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'Chicago added a bit of spice' - Remembering the All Blacks' fiery 2016 win in Dublin”. 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