Rugby World Cup: Ireland poked the All Blacks bear

There were multiple fist pumps among the coaches, and the extraordinary tackle count shared throughout the team reflected a group that had been told all week they weren’t good enough, and were going home.

In an era when All Blacks fans demand a “connection” with their side, it was arguably the most significant performance since the 2015 Rugby World Cup final – who could not relate to and admire their constant courage under pressure?

Riding the emotional waves during a long tournament is absolutely critical to performance, especially in the context of the All Blacks’ campaign.

After the opening night loss to France, they have had to generate their own edge for the tests against Namibia, Italy and Uruguay.

Clearly irked by the suggestion that Italy could actually progress at their expense, they roasted the Six Nations side 96-17. This is clearly an All Blacks side that plays at its best when it has the s---s, if you pardon the French.

And that’s why the semifinal against Argentina represents an equal challenge to Ireland, if not greater. It sounds like an exaggeration given that Ireland are a better team than Los Pumas, but it isn’t – not if you accept the potency of psychology at the top level.

They’ll have to get into the right emotional state to face Los Pumas, who have improved with every game of the tournament.

And there is no way a canny operator such as Argentina coach Michael Cheika is going to offer them any fuel. He’ll command the narrative by telling the world how good the All Blacks are: there aren’t going to be any motivational freebies this week.

If the All Blacks get past Argentina, it will be a coaching performance by Ian Foster and co that is every bit as good as beating the Irish.

The omens are good. With all the noise that surrounded the non-selections of Mark Telea and Cam Roigard, it almost escaped attention that Foster had been bold by picking young props Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams named on the bench.

Those selections quietly said, “We think we’ve got you at scrum time”, and that is how the game unfolded as the All Blacks won a number of crucial set-piece penalties.

The All Blacks also had to weather a liberal attitude to the breakdown by referee Wayne Barnes. There were many times when Irish players rolled on the wrong side, and it felt like Ireland prop Andrew Porter was “coached” out of about 1000 breakdown infringements by Barnes.

The All Blacks dealt superbly with all those little frustrations and now have a Rugby World Cup semifinal to look forward to. Argentina are a tough, rugged side with experience on the bench and a peerless ability to drag sides into a dogfight.

Once the All Blacks come down from the Irish win, they’ll have to find the edge that was supplied for free by the Irish.