The psychic damage done by the All-Blacks loss to the Irish in a Chicago-staged rugby game continues to extract its toll on the fortunes of the world’s best rugby side.
This is the sort of aftermath to be expected when you lose to a squad that last beat you a decade before the onset of World War I. The last win by the Irish in 1905, took place 18 years before southern Ireland was emancipated from the yoke of British oppression in 1923, or 1925, depending on your interpretation of history.
The All-Blacks lost two tally points in the most recently released World Rugby rankings. They dropped from 96.57 to 94.57, yet they still hold a nice margin ahead of the number two team, England, which sits at 89.49.
One can only imagine the scene at Irish pubs around the world, but Dublin in particular, although much less significant events often engender celebratory behaviour in the Isle of Emeralds. Fortunately, the supply of Guinness and Irish whiskey was adequate.
Ireland moved up from sixth to fifth in the rankings, which could indicate that the days of unquestioned dominance by the All-Blacks could be headed the route of Novak Djokovic’s number one world ranking in tennis.