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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 Codie Taylor and Leroy Carter tackle James Lowe.Dan Sheridan/INPHO A frustrating, stop-start day felt like a missed chance for Ireland The early Tadhg Beirne incident set the tone for a bad afternoon for Ireland. 7.07am, 2 Nov 2025 Share options Murray Kinsella Reports from Chicago IF 2016 WAS a joyous, flowing beauty of a day, then 2025 was a frustrating, stop-start slog of an afternoon. Irish fans still enjoyed the Chicago nightlife this time around, but they weren’t able to launch into the kind of riotous celebrations that made 2016 so memorable. The build-up was brilliant and there was a sense of something special in the air for those wearing green, but their optimism was dented after only three minutes when Tadhg Beirne was sent to the sideline and soon had a 20-minute red card confirmed. It’s impossible to overstate how frustrating an incident this was in the stadium, even aside from the questionable final decision. There were no replays of the incident on the big screen – meaning referee Pierre Brousset eventually had to go to the sideline to watch it on a screen used for assessing possible head injuries - nor was there any announcement about what was happening. After shelling out big bucks to be there, the fans and media in the stadium had no idea what was being discussed. It wasn’t good enough and added to an early sense of shambles, with the New Zealand anthem singer having a lengthy wait for the music to kick in, before Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight played over the start of New Zealand’s haka. America is rightly famed for its high-quality sports entertainment, but the early stages sowed seeds of frustration. The final decision of a 20-minute red for Beirne felt unjust to those supporting Ireland and yet, their team responded well and moved into a 10-0 lead while still down to 14 men. The All Blacks reacted characteristically with a brilliant try before Iain Henderson was sent on to replace Beirne. Still, a 10-7 lead from those 20 minutes was a great return for Ireland. Advertisement From there, though, they struggled to find a killer edge. Their efforts in the closing 63 minutes of the game amounted to just three points. There was a snap, violence, and accuracy to Tadhg Furlong’s early try that wasn’t repeated for the rest of the game. Pierre Brousset speaks with New Zealand’s Ardie Savea. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO Of course, it didn’t help that New Zealand laid siege on Ireland’s lineout, which cracked under attack. It obviously didn’t help to lose primary lineout caller Beirne so early, but James Ryan, Henderson, and Ryan Baird are experienced operators who will be disappointed they couldn’t deliver a better platform for their backs. And it’s worth remembering that the very first Irish lineout of the day – when Beirne was still on the pitch – was a complete botch that saw them turn the ball over. Forwards coach Paul O’Connell might not have got much sleep last night after watching Josh Lord and co. pinching Irish throws too often. Ireland’s attack, like nearly every attack, relies on a steady stream of ball from the lineout and that didn’t come. Japan, Australia, and South Africa will try to pick up where New Zealand left off. With the scrum giving New Zealand some momentum too, it wasn’t a good evening for Ireland’s set-piece. Despite those shortcomings, Ireland probably just needed a second try in the third quarter of the game to put themselves into a good winning position. A 20-7 scoreline would have felt nice and comfortable. Andy Farrell believes that the key moment of the game came in the 60th minute. Ireland were attacking in the New Zealand 22 when Jamie Osborne knocked on. New Zealand hacked the ball down the other end and chased brilliantly, allowing Quinn Tupaea to win a breakdown penalty. Into the corner they went, where they won a maul penalty. They tapped that one and Tamaiti Williams scored. For the first time in the game, New Zealand led. And they never looked back as Ireland faded badly in that final quarter. If Ireland had been able to add a second try in that third quarter? Who knows? That’s the frustration. But the sense in Chicago last night was that it was an opportunity missed for Ireland. Ireland's Caelan Dois after the defeat in Chicago.Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO They were in front for nearly three-quarters of the game, but they couldn’t see it out. While the Beirne red card decision didn’t go their way, other things did fall in Ireland’s favour. Scott Barrett – the Kiwi skipper, lineout caller, and physical enforcer – was forced off injured at the same time as Beirne, and his brother Jordie followed him soon after. New Zealand handled those setbacks, and they handled Ireland taking the lead. Scott Robertson’s side weren’t perfect by any means, but they seemed to sense that their chances would come if they stuck in the fight. That proved the case and Ireland came up short on a frustrating evening. Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “A frustrating, stop-start day felt like a missed chance for Ireland”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “A frustrating, stop-start day felt like a missed chance for Ireland”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. 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