Andy Farrell has told Ireland their clash with New Zealand rugby’s All Blacks at Eden Park must be “the performance of our lives” as his side chase history no Ireland team has ever achieved on Kiwi soil.
According to a fresh update from RTE Sport and the Irish Times, Farrell used his pre-match media duties to frame the scale of the task, with Ireland arriving in Auckland unbeaten through two rounds of the Nations Championship after wins over Australia and Japan. “We’re the lucky ones, we have a shot at doing something that nobody’s ever done,” Farrell said, describing Eden Park as “their Mecca” and adding, as relayed by The42, that Ireland’s build-up mood “has to build up to something that probably has to be the performance of our lives.”
New Zealand Rugby’s Eden Park Fortress Has Stood Since 1994
The All Blacks have not lost at Eden Park in 52 Tests stretching back to 1994, a run that has swallowed every previous Ireland tour of the ground. Farrell’s side arrive sitting third in the world rugby rankings, just 1.72 points behind New Zealand at the top of the standings.
Ireland head into the finale of their summer series with a perfect record, having edged Australia 33-31 before following up with a 36-20 bonus-point win over Japan, results that back up the starting XV Farrell is expected to select for the biggest test of his side’s year.
Kick-off at the sold-out, 46,800-capacity ground is 7.10pm local time on Saturday, with Farrell needing a huge collective effort from the group he has trusted throughout the tour if Ireland are finally going to end New Zealand’s three-decade grip on Eden Park.
