Ireland's 19-game winning streak halted by New Zealand

Ireland 13-23 New Zealand, Dublin

Ireland’s impressive 19-match home winning streak came to an end as New Zealand claimed a 23-13 victory at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

In their first meeting since the All Blacks' narrow win in the 2022 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, Ireland struggled to find momentum, with New Zealand’s Damian McKenzie leading the charge with six penalties, proving critical in a match where Ireland appeared outpaced and unsettled.

The hosts, previously dominant in recent fixtures, faltered as they faced relentless pressure from New Zealand.

Early exchanges set a tense atmosphere, with Andrew Porter’s opening charge-down rallying the crowd before penalties from both sides kept scores tight.

However, Irish infringements grew costly, and New Zealand’s composed, structured play exploited these errors.

A yellow card for Jordie Barrett gave Ireland a temporary advantage, allowing Josh van der Flier to score the game’s opening try, but New Zealand quickly reclaimed the upper hand.

Hugo Keenan’s tackle on Mark Tele’a provided brief hope for Ireland, but New Zealand’s quick recovery and Will Jordan’s decisive left-wing run dashed Irish hopes.

McKenzie’s accuracy throughout left Ireland trailing and ultimately sealed New Zealand’s victory, ending Ireland’s formidable home streak.

This loss not only marks Ireland's first defeat at Aviva since the 2021 Six Nations but also sees them relinquish their top position in the global rankings.

Team line up:

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Reserves: Herring, Healy, O’Toole, Henderson, O’Mahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne.

New Zealand: Jordan; Tele'a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa'i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.

Reserves: Bell, Tu'ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Leinert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta.