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Get your Melbourne Cup kit'Frustrating stuff': World Rugby's 'lost opportunity' in Chicago
Kieran Bingham • November 3rd, 2025 12:49 pm
Photo: Photosport
The All Blacks have opened their Northern tour with a win over Ireland at Chicago’s Soldier Field, but the post-match conversation has been dominated by officiating rather than rugby.
Billed as “The Rematch” after the unforgettable 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, and with the All Blacks looking to avenge 2016's first-ever loss to Ireland at Soldier Field, the Test promised to showcase two of the game’s most dynamic sides in front of a passionate and growing American audience.
Instead, it was marred by controversy just three minutes into play.
Irish lock Tadhg Beirne collided with an upright Beauden Barrett, a challenge that was first punished with a yellow card but later upgraded to a 20-minute red card after review.
The decision drew widespread criticism and immediately changed the shape of the match.
Even Barrett, who was on the receiving end of the hit, expressed sympathy for Beirne after the final whistle.
“I was gutted for him to be honest," Barrett told media after the match.
“I’ll support him in terms of mitigating…I don’t feel there’s any intention there.”
Photo: Photosport
Former All Black Ian Jones, speaking with Ian Smith on Sport Nation Mornings, described the occasion as a missed opportunity for the sport.
“What an amazing market to take what I believe is the greatest game in the world to a huge sports audience in America,” Jones said.
“And World Rugby serves them that for 60 minutes? Really frustrating stuff in terms of how the game can be played. We know the way the All Blacks love to play.
We know Ireland can also play an attractive game, but no one was allowed to do that because of the way World Rugby wants to officiate things.”
Despite the disruption, the All Blacks recorded a comfortable victory to begin their Grand Slam tour, which now moves to Edinburgh for a clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.
Jones says the team must keep their focus squarely on the next challenge rather than thinking ahead to a potential Grand Slam clean sweep.
“Maybe we shouldn’t even be thinking of a Grand Slam. Maybe we should just think about Scotland,” he said.
“That’s the biggest assignment we’ve got. They’ve never beaten us in our history, and that’s a real proud history. You wouldn’t want to be in an All Black team that loses that. There’s no way you’d want that to happen. We have to bury them early and give them no hope.”
While New Zealand celebrated a winning start, the debate over rugby’s officiating continues to overshadow its spectacle.
For many, the match in Chicago felt like a lost opportunity to showcase the best of the game to a new audience.
Listen to the full interview below:
