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All Blacks sink 14-man Ireland 26-13 in Chicago Test / Photo: © AFP
NYSE - LSE
All Blacks sink 14-man Ireland 26-13 in Chicago Test
New Zealand recovered from a 10-point deficit to open their bid for an Autumn Nations Series Grand Slam with a hard-fought 26-13 victory over 14-man Ireland at Soldier Field on Saturday.
Tries from flanker Ardie Savea, Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi and Cam Roigard clinched a scrappy win as the All Blacks avenged their famous 2016 defeat to Ireland at the same venue.
Ireland's attempt to repeat their Soldier Field triumph of nine years ago was hamstrung just minutes into Saturday's Test when lock forward Tadgh Beirne was shown a yellow card following a collision with All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett.
That yellow was later upgraded to a red card, leaving Ireland with 14 men for virtually the entirety of the game.
The Irish, though, shrugged off their numerical disadvantage in a positive opening, with a converted Tadgh Furlong try and a Jack Crowley penalty giving them a 10-0 lead midway through the first half.
New Zealand hit back with a converted try from Savea that left it 10-7 at half-time, and although a Crowley penalty helped Ireland into a 13-7 lead just after the break, New Zealand upped the pace to run in tries from replacements Williams and Sititi before scrum-half Roigard dotted down three minutes from time to seal the win.
New Zealand now head to Europe, where they will face Test matches against Scotland, England and Wales as they attempt to repeat their 2010 Grand Slam of Britain and Ireland.
Q.Nelson--SFF
