DUBLIN — In a remarkable display, New Zealand claimed a decisive 23-13 victory over Ireland in Dublin on Friday night, marking their first win against the Irish in eight years.

The All Blacks showcased their dominance throughout the match, controlling both possession and territory while excelling in air battles and set-pieces. This performance was particularly surprising, as Ireland had not lost at home in nearly four years.

Ireland, under significant pressure, conceded a total of 13 penalties compared to New Zealand’s five. Damian McKenzie capitalized on this, successfully converting six penalty attempts while narrowly missing a seventh, delivering an outstanding display as the primary flyhalf.

Each team managed to score a single try during the match; however, Ireland’s try came shortly after halftime via Josh van der Flier, giving them a brief lead while enjoying a man advantage. Nevertheless, New Zealand quickly extinguished Ireland’s momentum, and a try from Will Jordan secured a comfortable 10-point lead for the visitors with just 11 minutes remaining.

Entering the match, Ireland had not competed since their July victory over the reigning world champions, South Africa, in Durban. Although they had participated in a training camp in Portugal to prepare, the nearly full-strength Irish squad struggled to break through New Zealand’s robust defense and capitalized on only one of their scoring opportunities.