The one that didn't get away

Denis Hickie (11) and Brian O'Driscoll couldn't stop All Black Aaron Mauger in 2001. Picture / Reuters

The date January 20, 1973, is etched in Irish rugby history.

On a chilly winter's day at Lansdowne Rd, Ireland wing Tom Grace raced in to score a famous late try which secured a 10-10 draw and denied the All Blacks their first Grand Slam.

It remains the only the time in their 17-match rivalry, stretching back 100 years, that the All Blacks haven't won.

Both rugby nations are tightly linked, largely through the legendary Dave Gallaher - Irish-born but the first All Blacks test captain in 1903 and skipper of the famed Originals who beat Ireland 15-0 in their first meeting in Dublin in 1905.

His legacy was crystal clear on Thursday when hundreds of cheering locals turned out to welcome Tana Umaga and other All Blacks to Gallaher's birthplace in tiny Ramelton, County Donegal.

The looks of wonder on locals' faces, young and old, as they crushed forward to catch a glimpse of Umaga, Joe Rokocoko and Jerry Collins summed up the awe in which the men in black are viewed in this part of the world.

That awe perhaps explains the huge psychological hurdle Irish teams face against the All Blacks.

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king, and so it is that the Ireland team that held New Zealand to a 10-10 draw on January 20th, 1973, at Lansdowne Rd retains a place in the pantheon of Irish achievement. It's a modest building," rugby writer John O'Sullivan wrote in the Irish Times under the heading, "The only one that didn't get away".

Grace, the 1973 hero, was bemused that the match was still being talked about as one of Ireland's great performances. "It's a bit embarrassing to still be getting calls about the match."

The All Blacks' dominance is summed up by the numbers - played 17, won 16, 411 points scored including 59 tries, against 152 points and 16 tries.

But the last meeting at Lansdowne Rd - the 2001 test debuts of tomorrow's captain, Richie McCaw, and Aaron Mauger - gives the Irish some cause for optimism.

Then, Warren Gatland-coached Ireland led 23-7 before the All Blacks turned up the heat in the second half to win 40-29, with Mauger one of the tryscorers.

Ireland's nearest miss came in 1963 - 6-5 against a great All Black side including Colin Meads, Sir Wilson Whineray and Don Clarke.

A 0-0 draw with Scotland later denied the 1963 side a Grand Slam.

- NZPA