All Blacks Vs Ireland.

Saturday night (June 7) the All Blacks played their first game of the 2008 season against Ireland, It is also the first test since there World Cup exit eight months ago, Just six All Blacks retained their starting spots from the World Cup calamity against France last October and while the match was touted as the start of a new era, All Black coach Graham Henry clearly has a lot of work to do to get his team up to the standard of recent seasons. Also a return to the old rugby laws which the IRB changed for the southern hemisphere as a trial (Which in my opinion definitely speeds the game up). So considering going back to the old laws aswell as a team that have only been together for all of six days, They played remarkably well.

The final score was, All Blacks 21. Ireland 11. Ireland have never won a game against the All Blacks in test rugby and have played 21 tests and spanning 103 years, Ireland's only try came in the 21st minute to second five-eighth Paddy Wallace, named to start late in the week following injury to Luke Fitzgerald. The All Blacks responded just six minutes later with a well-constructed move from their own half which ended with winger Sivivatu scoring for his 22nd try in 22 Tests. But during the first half of the game the Irish led for long periods and the score was 8-8 at half time so there first win was definitely looking hopeful.

Two key scoring plays midway through the second half broke the hearts of the Irish, who had looked more than capable of pulling off an upset throughout the first 60 minutes, However the All Blacks were never comfortable and only just squeezed through courtesy of a converted 63rd-minute try from Ma'a Nonu and three penalties from Dan Carter.

The All Blacks next test match is June 14 from Eden Park in Auckland (Which is also the venue for the 2011 world cup grand final) against England, This should be another tough match.