Andy Farrell: Eden Park challenge? Where else would you rather be?

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who has made nine changes ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship clash with New Zealand. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire.

Some people clam up staring Mount Everest in the face. Not Andy Farrell.

Days after saying Ireland needed to produce the “performance of their lives” to take down the All Blacks at their “Mecca”, the brilliant motivator once again went on the offensive and spoke of his excitement about trying to become the first international side to take down the All Blacks at Eden Park in 32 years.

“I mean, where else would you rather be? Not making the most out of the fortunate position that we're in would be a shame, wouldn't it?” Farrell said from his team hotel in Auckland, having brought back the A-listers for Saturday’s third and final July Nations Championship fixture.

“We always reference, how do you want to wake up on Monday morning, you know, have no regrets, all of that.

"So making sure that people are able to be themselves and perform on a big stage like that, that's what it's all about. Don't waste the opportunity."

Ireland have played at Eden Park on four occasions. The last was four years ago, when they went down 42-19 before going on to win the historic three-Test series 2-1.

Before then, Farrell had also featured as an assistant under Warren Gatland when the British and Irish Lions lost the first Test at Eden Park before drawing the final match at the same venue to square a remarkable series.

Momentum is a big thing at Eden Park.

Tests get away from you at the venue quicker than most. It did in the Lions opener in 2017 and certainly in 2022, where Ireland scored first but the All Blacks hit back with three quick tries around the half-hour mark following Johnny Sexton’s departure.

Like most coaches, Farrell didn’t necessarily think there was anything particularly special about Eden Park but acknowledged the importance of staying in the hunt.

“I’ve played there many times, I’ve had some good performances there, some performances that just got away from you,” he said.

“We learned a lot from our last time there and, obviously, we took those lessons into the other games.” 

One thing for certain is that unlike England’s football team that parked the bus in their late 2-1 World Cup loss to Argentina, Farrell wants Ireland to continue to attack and take the game on.

“We've always said that and nothing changes because they are going to score points. They're a brilliant attacking side and that's probably never going to change. So you have to score points,” he said.

“Keeping them to a minimum is going to be a challenge, but you also have to give your best defensive display that you're able to and more so, and raise it again because of the nature of how they want to play the game.

“So, yeah, keeping the scoreline to a minimum is all right. Talking about it is harder to do in reality, but I suppose on the other side of it, we're confident in our own ability as well to score points and we know that if we click, we put our best performance out there, that we can cause any team trouble as well.” 

Farrell is acutely aware of the challenge coming.

Ireland might have lost in consecutive November fixtures to the All Blacks against Scott Robertson’s side, but he believes New Zealand are an even bigger threat under new coach Dave Rennie.

“I've been super impressed [by the All Blacks],” Farrell said.

“I've obviously followed Dave's career, a very impressive one at that, and understand fully how his sides like to play.

“We've seen that with the Chiefs, and certainly saw it in Glasgow, the effect that he had, and obviously being successful in Japan just shows. And I also thought he did a fantastic job in Australia as well.

“I think the style of rugby suits the DNA of how New Zealand as a rugby playing nation want to play, and he's brought a bit of steel back to them as well. So, it certainly makes them very dangerous on Saturday.” 

Shoring up Ireland’s set-piece is priority number one for Ireland.

But the decision to start Tadhg Berine at blindside flanker to give Ireland another tall option should help at the lineout. It might even help on the scrum with Tom O’Toole likely to be attacked by an All Blacks scrum that wasn’t great against Italy but is still feared in the area.

“He's [Beirne] a wonderful player no matter where he plays really, so getting the best players on the pitch is probably part of that,” Farrell said.

“But, yeah, everyone knows that set-piece is vital in a top game like this. We talked about it last week with you guys being the top one per centers in world rugby and, yeah, at the heart of any massive match is always going to be the set-piece game.” 

The other person who will be scrutinised more than most is Sam Prendergast at out-half.

With Jack Crowley missing, the Leinster out-half has the chance to nail his name to the No.10 position.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that his old Leinster teammate Jordie Barrett will be picking him out in defence and looking to shut down his space in attack, too.

Farrell, however, said Saturday’s Test was just the latest in a number of big matches for the 23-year-old playmaker in 2026, which has included a dreaded night in Paris against Les Bleus in a Test that ultimately decided the Six Nations and a URC final.

“When you're young enough there's always going to be plenty of firsts and, I suppose, somebody like Sam has had plenty of those games, obviously Australia would have been one for him anyway,” Farrell said.

“You're learning on the run the whole time.

“They've played big enough games now and made the mistakes and been through all that et cetera, there's plenty of experience under the bonnet as well as far as those young guys are concerned because that's the nature of Irish rugby isn't it, we're always trying to bring people through because of their depth level.

“And they tend to get the experience pretty early. You look at most people really within the squad, they've always either played in a final or big Test matches and it doesn't get any bigger than this.” 

Even with James Lowe’s departure, there’s still a healthy New Zealand tinge to the Irish squad, a tinge that got even stronger with the inclusion of replacement loose-forward Sean Jansen.

The Test will be a big one for another snubbed Kiwi, Jamison Gibson-Park, who returns to the venue where he spent his first two years as a Super Rugby player.

Gibson-Park’s battle with All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard could well determine who comes out on top.

Despite Roigard being the hottest young halfback talent on the planet, Farrell said he was more than pleased to have the fiery 34-year-old on his side.

“Well, I mean, what more is there to say about Jamison? I’m on record saying I honestly wouldn’t swap him for any scrum-half in world rugby. And I wouldn’t, because I know what he brings to our team,” he said.

“It’s not just what you see on the field, it’s the confidence that he brings around the group on a daily basis as well. I think that says it all, for him.” 

The other bearded Kiwi in the matchday squad is Bundee Aki, who will likely be playing his final Test on New Zealand soil.

Farrell said the midfielder’s physical threat made him a serious threat, especially in the second half.

“I would have thought if I was playing the game, with him coming on the field with however many minutes to go, I suppose it would give you a lift because of his energy and what he’s going to bring to finishing out the game. That’s his job, and he knows that,” Farrell said.