‘A sense of relief’: Brodie Retallick sums up All Blacks’ tense Rugby World Cup quarterfinal win over Ireland

With a couple of stitches above his left eyebrow, and resplendent in his All Blacks blazer, tie and dress trousers, Brodie Retallick looked like a shadowy figure from a gangster movie.

It takes a brave person to tangle with a man of Retallick’s dimensions, something the Irish players discovered when the All Blacks beat them 28-24 in their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Paris on Sunday morning (NZT).

As he wandered out for post-match interviews following the match at Stade de France, hands jammed in pockets, Retallick looked relaxed, if slightly beaten-up.

He was on the grass when Ireland launched one final, desperate attack to try and batter the New Zealand tacklers into surrendering. Thirty-seven phases later and they failed to succeed.

“There was probably a little bit of relief, to be fair,” Retallick said when reflecting on his emotional state when he heard the final whistle.