How to beat the All Blacks - by Ireland

History was made in Chicago this week, initially by the Cubs finally winning the World Series. However a few days later Ireland did something even more unexpected and beat the team that seemed simply unbeatable over the summer. So how did Ireland achieve something no one else has come close to doing in over a year? There were five areas which gave them the result craved for 111 years, and the Lions coaches will do well to study this match extensively before next summer.

Kicking

Murray's kicking was exemplary.

Quite simply it was a masterclass. Nothing else. Jonny Sexton and Connor Murray were executing the correct kicks at the exact right time, with the perfect precision. The half backs made their cases for the Lions shirts and look to be almost confirmed for the plane now. Murray especially was exceptional with his pressure releasing kicks from Ireland's 22 achieving brilliant distance while simultaneously going out of play and denying the chance for the All Blacks to counter attack. Sexton aided his brilliant scrum half, with perfectly weighted kicks to chase, and genius kicks in behind which allowed Irish chasers to put pressure on the All Black back three.

They weren't the only ones seeming to have a golden day with the boot, Zebo, Trimble, and Rob Kearney all had superb days at fielding and returning kicks. Trimble made one brilliant clearance kick after a turnover in their 22, and Zebo made the ultimately crucial kick that lead to Henshaw's try which sealed the game for the men in green. When you've got not one, not even two players, but an entire backline capable of putting in intelligent and well executed kicks you know you can put teams under immense pressure.

The Kiwi's deployed their two big running wingers hoping that they'd be able to run over the smaller Irish backline, but that exposed them to Ireland's exceptional kicking game. I will not be surprised to see Israel Dagg returned to the starting lineup in an effort to counter-act Ireland's kicking game, come the return fixture in Dublin on the 19th of November. 

Defence

To a man the Irish were brilliant in defence, utterly committed, brilliantly organised and exemplary in their use of the choke tackle to kill off any New Zealand attacking speed. Apart from two very well cut lines by Dane Coles and Barrett (the younger) during the second half, and one well executed move in the first half, New Zealand rarely threatened to penetrate the green wall. 

Ireland's choke tackle utterly destroyed any All Black
breakdown speed.

It was a stark contrast to the apathetic defensive performance delivered by Wales a few hours earlier. Each Irish player was truly focused and dedicated to the suffocating defensive pressure. The line speed was brilliant, while still maintaining solidity and denying any holes for the Kiwi attackers to
exploit. This meant that often the spread out All Black attack often ended up isolated during the initial stages of the collision, with often two or more Irish defenders getting in under the ball and wrapping up the ball carrier. 

The All Black's are famed for their incredible ruck speed allowing them to send wave after wave of attack until the opposition defence is stretched to breaking. The Irish knew they didn't posses the traditional "openside" skills to slow down rucks, but what they did have was a well drilled ability of the choke tackle. New Zealand players often end up hitting the tackle on their own, but the speed of their support means they don't get isolated. But when the defence isn't looking to chop you to the ground and instead wrap you up, you need your support directly on your shoulder to make sure you get to ground. 

It was genius from Andy Farrell as defence coach to realise this area to exploit.

Replacements

So often teams stand up to the All Blacks for 50-60 minutes, and then collapse as the benches come into play. New Zealand have got a talent pool other nations can only dream of, as such they can maintain the quality on the pitch with fresh legs and put teams to the sword. The Irish substitutes however continued the sheer effort, and the skill level, of their counterparts as they came on.

Special mentions go to Josh van der Flier who probably came on much sooner than he expected - due to a nasty injury to Jordi Murphy - and became a real nuisance at the breakdown. And Joey Carbery who had the unenvious task of trying to match the quality of Jonny Sexton with still 20 minutes on the clock. He did so splendidly, continuing the precise kicking and assured presence of his Leinster team mate. But to a man ever member of the Irish bench knew their responsibility as they came on, to maintain the intensity and ferocity that their team mates had been showcasing from the start. And they didn't disappoint.

When you can rely on your fresh legs to make a real impact and slot seamlessly into the systems and the speed of the game, you are always going to be a top level threat, because you can maintain intensity for the full 80 minutes. Something a lot of teams struggle to do - despite the amount of conditioning work done in the Northern Hemisphere.

Joey Carbery was a calm and assured presence when he came on for Sexton, exactly what Ireland needed at the time.

The Set Piece

Over the last few years - under Steve Hansen - the All Blacks have become famed for their set piece efficiency as well as their attacking class. With the likes of Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick being lethal at the lineout in securing quick ball for themselves and disrupting the opposition. So too their scrum has become a source of stable possession from which Read and his scrum half can cause havoc with opposition defence. 

Retallick was missed.

For the game in Chicago the Kiwi's were without both Retallick and Whitelock and it showed. With Kaino - a blindside - having to play lock they really struggled to win their own ball, and Ireland had an easy ride at securing their own lineout possession. Ireland scored two tries thanks to driving maul successes and it played a massive role in their eventual victory.

The key thing Ireland did though was not just securing their own ball, but actually causing chaos with New Zealand's lineouts. New Zealand lost their first two lineouts, and very rarely had clean possession the rest of the match. The likes of Devin Toner and Jamie Heaslip caused real problems in the air for Dane Coles. As such the Kiwi's couldn't attack with their usual speed and shift the point of collision beyond the gain line, something that is fundamental to the way they play.

Willingness to Attack

For the first few years under Joe Schmidt it was rare to see Ireland score tries, they were hugely successful but it came about largely from an superb kicking game putting the opposition under pressure and winning kickable penalties, while denying their opponent any field position. While the threads of that game plan were still present with their kicking strategy, Ireland threw the points plan out the window and went out to score tries.

It's a long touted caveat on how to beat the All Blacks, score tries. Ireland heard the call and did it their way. They got into the right field positions, via their kicking game, and then made the pressure count. Driving maul, cut back angles, forward carries, simple effective rugby. But they also looked to play from their own half when they saw the chance, Jonny Sexton looping his players in classic style to spread the play. It was brilliant simple, well trained, execution of skills. Playing with confidence and knowing how they were meant to play meant that they knew and understood how there were likely to make gains and score the tries they needed.

Joe Schmidt out thought Steve Hansen in Chicago, his tactics and the way they combined was simply world class.

Each of these things were crucial to Ireland's dramatic victory against New Zealand, and it is a testament to the coaching staff at how all of them combined together to create a complete performance that no team would have been capable of beating. The lineout disruption meant that the defence could pressure in the first phase. The kicking game meant that the All Black were under pressure constantly, and Ireland could attack in the right areas. The replacements could play the game as good as the starting players and the pressure remained. Everything game together to produce of the best performances I've seen in a long time.

The blue-print has been written, the real test if it works again in Dublin, if so the Lions know how they're going to need to play come June.