The All Blacks have reshuffled their forward pack for Saturday night’s test against Ireland at Eden Park, shifting lock Tupou Vaa’i to blindside flanker as they try to blunt one of the most physical sides in world rugby and protect a home record that has stood for more than three decades.
Coach Dave Rennie named his side for the Nations Championship clash, which kicks off at 7.10pm on Saturday 18 July in Auckland. The team carries four changes and one positional switch, with the headline call being Vaa’i moving out of the second row to wear the number six jersey. Josh Lord and the returning Patrick Tuipulotu pack down at lock, giving the All Blacks a towering three-lock look designed to match Ireland’s size at the set piece and around the fringes.
The move is a clear response to the threat coming the other way. Ireland arrive in Auckland ranked among the top sides in the world and unbeaten in the new Nations Championship, having edged Australia 33-31 before pulling clear of Japan 36-20. The All Blacks have won their two rounds so far, accounting for France and Italy, so both teams walk out at Eden Park with perfect records on the line.
Tuipulotu returns to the starting side after a calf problem, while Quinn Tupaea comes back into the midfield at centre in place of Billy Proctor. On the wing, Josh Moorby has been promoted from the bench to start, with Caleb Clarke dropping to the reserves. Ardie Savea again captains the side from number eight, with Cam Roigard at halfback and Ruben Love at first five. Jordie Barrett stays at second five, Will Jordan holds his place on the right wing and Damian McKenzie starts at fullback. The front row of Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor and Tyrel Lomax is unchanged.
Rennie explained the thinking behind the selection when the team was announced. “We have selected a strong team that allows some of the combinations we have tested to continue building, and rewards players who have impressed over the last two rounds, including some of our recent debutants,” he said in a statement released by New Zealand Rugby.
Stacking the pack with a third lock has a knock-on effect on the bench, where the All Blacks have loaded up on forward power. Anton Segner and Peter Lakai provide the loose-forward cover, with Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia and Fletcher Newell offering fresh legs across the front row. Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown and Clarke round out the reserves, giving Rennie the option to finish the game with plenty of size still on the field.
The reason Eden Park matters so much is history. The All Blacks have not lost a test at the ground since France beat them there in 1994, a run of 52 tests that takes in 50 wins and two draws. No touring side has cracked the venue in that time, and the record has become part of the mythology around the stadium. Ireland know the feeling better than most. They have visited four times and lost on each occasion, going down 40-8 in 2002, 27-17 in 2006, 42-10 in 2012 and 42-19 in 2022, according to the All Blacks’ own record books.
That last visit came during a tour Ireland will remember fondly all the same. In 2022 the touring side won a test on New Zealand soil for the first time and went on to take the series 2-1, sealing it with a win in Wellington. The Eden Park test was the one that got away, and finishing the job at the ground that has defied them for a generation is exactly the sort of milestone this Ireland group has been chasing.
Ireland head into the match with recent proof that they can trouble the All Blacks, and their coaching group has spoken openly about wanting to end the streak. For the home side, the answer has been to build a pack that can stand up physically for 80 minutes, with Vaa’i’s move to flanker the most visible sign of that plan. Playing a natural lock at six gives the All Blacks another lineout target and another big body in the tight exchanges, while keeping Luke Jacobson and Savea in the back row for their work at the breakdown.
There is plenty riding on the result beyond the Eden Park record. Both teams sit unbeaten in the Nations Championship, so the winner takes a significant step towards the pointy end of the new competition. A loss would not only dent those hopes but would hand Ireland the prize they have wanted for years. As 1News reported, the selection reflects a side that expects a serious physical contest and has picked accordingly.
Kick-off is 7.10pm on Saturday at Eden Park. The All Blacks have made the ground a fortress for 32 years, and Ireland arrive with the form and the belief to test that like few teams before them.
Will the All Blacks keep their Eden Park streak alive, or is this the year Ireland finally break through? Share your predictions in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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