**New Zealand Stages Late Rally to Defeat Ireland 26-13 at Soldier Field**
CHICAGO (AP) — Tries in the last quarter by Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi, and Cam Roigard propelled New Zealand to a 26-13 victory over a resolute Ireland side on Saturday. The match took place at Chicago’s Soldier Field in front of 65,000 mostly Irish fans.
For much of the game, New Zealand struggled against Ireland’s physical rush defense and disruptive tactics at set pieces. Ireland entered the final quarter holding a 13-7 lead.
However, the All Blacks managed to break down the Irish defense twice within five minutes in the 61st and 66th minutes. The first came from Williams off a tapped penalty, followed by Sititi who crossed the line after a clever interplay between playmakers Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie. Roigard then sealed the win in the 76th minute by sprinting through a gap created by a dominant scrum.
The loss was a setback for Ireland, who had hoped to repeat their famous first-ever victory over New Zealand — also achieved at Soldier Field almost nine years ago to the day.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow,” said Ireland captain Dan Sheehan. “I don’t think we ever really got going. We saw very small patches of what we were looking for but couldn’t really put the whole picture together.”
Ireland looked set for victory until New Zealand, who had been tentative and disorganized for most of the match, finally unleashed their high-powered attack.
With this win, New Zealand keeps its dream of a first Grand Slam over the Home Unions since 2005 alive. The All Blacks will face Scotland, England, and Wales over the next three weekends.
“That loss was nine years ago so it’s nice to come here and rectify that,” said All Blacks captain Ardie Savea.
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### Early Disruptions and Injuries
Both teams faced early challenges in the first half. New Zealand lost captain Scott Barrett to a leg injury just three minutes in, and Ireland was down to 14 men after lock Tadhg Beirne received a yellow card for accidental head contact with Beauden Barrett. Additionally, New Zealand’s midfielder Jordie Barrett suffered a first-half injury.
Ireland drew first blood with an early 10-0 lead, courtesy of a penalty by Jack Crowley and a try by prop Tadhg Furlong. New Zealand replied before halftime with a try by Savea, leaving the score at 10-7 in Ireland’s favor at the break.
The first half was marked by numerous stoppages, lacking smooth flow. Beirne’s yellow card occurred in the 10th minute following an awkward standing tackle where his shoulder made contact with Barrett’s head. Ireland contested the call, arguing the pass to Barrett was forward and Beirne had limited opportunity to adjust his position.
Jordie Barrett sustained a knee injury in the 12th minute and attempted to continue but was soon replaced by Leicester Fainga’anuku.
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### Battle of Defense and Midfield
New Zealand initially struggled to penetrate Ireland’s stiff defense, finding more success attacking around the edges. Ireland’s defense was more resilient, with veteran midfielder Stuart McCloskey making notable ground through strong runs.
Ireland extended their lead in the seventh minute with Crowley’s penalty and followed up in the 17th minute with Furlong’s try.
New Zealand responded almost immediately. Fainga’anuku broke free from Gary Ringrose’s tackle on the left flank and offloaded to Will Jordan. From the ensuing ruck, forwards Ethan de Groot, Josh Lord, and Simon Parker combined effectively to put Savea over in the right corner.
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### Second Half and Final Push
Crowley added another penalty in the 51st minute, pushing Ireland’s lead to 13-10. By this time, eight of the previous ten penalties had been called against New Zealand, mostly for offenses at breakdowns.
But New Zealand turned the tide with a try by Williams in the 61st minute from a quick tapped penalty. Sititi extended the lead five minutes later, benefiting from a deft combination between Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie that left him unchallenged as he crossed the try line.
Roigard closed out the scoring with a try following a dominant scrum, cementing New Zealand’s 26-13 victory.
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This hard-fought win underscores New Zealand’s resilience and keeps them firmly in contention for upcoming fixtures against Scotland, England, and Wales.