New Zealand secured a 26-13 victory over Ireland in a scrappy Test match in Chicago, avenging their historic loss to the Irish nine years ago. The All Blacks dominated the second half, with tries from Roigard and Sititi proving decisive.
Ireland struggled to create opportunities, failing to register a single line break throughout the contest. Their lack of heft in the tight five and midfield was exposed as New Zealand's handling ability off linebreaks proved the difference.
New Zealand captain praised his team's resilience after losing Scott and Jordie Barrett to injuries. 'We wanted to make a statement at the start of this tour. We just talked about backing each other up and that's what we did,' he said.
Ireland's performance was hampered by inaccuracies, with the team operating at 80% going into halftime. 'It's a bitter pill to swallow. We never got going. We saw patches but we couldn't paint the full picture,' the Irish captain admitted.
The match featured a controversial red card decision, which drew criticism from observers. The 20-minute red card rule remains a point of contention, with some arguing it undermines player safety.
