Ireland v All Blacks
Kick-off: 9:10am Sunday 2 November NZT
Soldier Field, Chicago
Live blog updates on RNZ
Former All Black hooker Dane Coles admitted there is a special place in the dark memories for the side's historic loss to Ireland in 2016. It was the last time the All Blacks were in Chicago and Coles has returned as a fan this time around, after retiring with 90 tests to his name.
"That one hurt, that day in 2016. It's something you've got to live with as an All Black…you get some sleepless nights now that I'm retired," said Coles who started in test that at Soldier Field that eventually ended in a 40-29 loss.
"It definitely intensified the relationship with us over the next 10 years, going to battle with them."
Beaduen Barrett and team mates dejected after losing to Ireland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
A long-running theory as to why Steve Hansen's All Blacks, who had only lost three tests in the preceding four seasons, suffered the shock loss is around what else was happening in Chicago that week. The Cubs had famously won baseball's World Series for the first time in 108 years, sparking massive celebrations in the city that included a victory parade attended by 5 million people. Incredibly, that made it the seventh largest gathering in human history and one that included the All Blacks.
However, Coles dispelled the notion that the team got caught up in the revelry and that it affected their performance.
Dane Coles. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
"There was a lot going on, but you don't want to put that down to the way (the All Blacks played) taking away from Ireland. It was just it was something definitely different to what we'd ever experienced….(but) that was never the reason we didn't go out and perform," he said.
Instead, Coles put it down to at least one highly motivating factor for the Irish.
"I just felt like there's a lot of emotion in that game. They lost one of their stars (former test player Anthiny Foley, who passed away a fortnight before the test), someone who had done a lot for Irish rugby."
Ireland shot out to a 30-8 lead at one stage and withstood a strong All Black comeback in the second half.
"And then they just got a roll on and we couldn't walk it back….when you're a professional, you're there to do a job and you've got to make sure you can control those distractions."
Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith congratulate Joe Schmidt after Ireland defeated the All Blacks for the first time 40-29. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
The breakthrough win has become even more important given that since then, the All Blacks v Ireland has become a must-watch fixture in test rugby. They have split the 10 tests played five apiece since, with Coles saying that the Chicago loss motivated every performance.
"(It was) always in the back of my head and it'd always take you back to the '16 game…you never want to let that feeling happen again. That was always the case for myself and a lot of the senior guys on the team."
Coles would ultimately have the last laugh, as his final test for the All Blacks was the hugely satisfying quarterfinal win over Ireland in the 2023 World Cup.
"I closed that book, I was happy to end it that way…like it doesn't take it away and it won't ever erase it. But that moment was kind of one back at them."
All Black coach Scott Robertson names his side for Sunday's test on Friday morning NZT.
