New Zealand come from behind to gain revenge in Chicago on Ireland

Three tries in the final 20 minutes helped a disjointed New Zealand to come from behind to beat Ireland 26-13 in Chicago on Saturday and exact revenge for their 2016 meeting in the city when they lost to the Irish for the first time.

Ireland came into the sides' tenth game since then far less battle hardened than their opponents, but showed few signs of it early on. They more than weathered a Tadhg Beirne 20-minute red card with a Tadhg Furlong try helping them lead 10-7 at halftime.

New Zealand lacked fluidity and looked in real danger of a fifth defeat to the Irish before two tries in five minutes from prop Tamaiti Williams and fellow replacement Wallace Sititi swung the game decisively, with scrumhalf Cam Roigard adding another three minutes from time.

"The message at the break was to just keep playing All Black rugby, throw the ball around, have a crack and just be there for each other," said man of the match, New Zealand lock Fabian Holland.

"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."

NOT MUCH COMFORT FOR EITHER SIDE

While Ireland's breakthrough 2016 victory precipitated their greatest era of rugby with Six Nations Grand Slams in 2018 and 2023 and a climb to number one in the world, Andy Farrell's side have not been the same team in the last 12 months.

New Zealand too were just seven weeks on from their worst-ever test defeat - the 43-10 humiliation at the hands of South Africa - and neither side will take much comfort from a scrappy game on Saturday that either could have won.

When Ireland lost influential lock Beirne after three minutes to a possibly harsh but clumsy red card, the 14 men controlled the ensuing period extremely well and were