All Blacks provide update on injured Jordie Barrett before Ireland Test

80-Test All Black Jordie Barrett didn’t train at all on Tuesday morning, but the centre is still expected to be available for this weekend’s blockbuster Nations Championship Test against Ireland at Eden Park.

Assistant coach Mike Blair confirmed Barrett was a non-participant during the session at Albany’s North Harbour Stadium, with the 29-year-old instead seen sporting an All Blacks tracksuit while helping others out with drills.

Barrett worked one-on-one with Will Jordan, who last weekend became the All Blacks’ all-time top try-scorer, before finishing training with the midfielders. That group consisted of Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea.

The inside centre spent the 2024/25 season in Ireland with European powerhouse Leinster before returning to New Zealand, helping lead the Hurricanes to a drought-breaking Super Rugby Pacific title last month.

Barrett is still expected to take on some former Leinster teammates at the Garden on Saturday, despite picking up a leg injury. The All Black has played almost 140 minutes across the team’s first two Tests of the season and is still in the mix to add to that tally.

“He’s just carrying a bit of an injury so we’re just being cautious with him,” Blair told reporters.

“He’s been really important for us the last couple of games, the last few years as well.

“Just making sure that he gets up to 100 per cent.”

Ireland are back in New Zealand for the first time in four years, when they claimed a historic 2-1 series win. That saw the Irish claim their maiden victory against the All Blacks in New Zealand, before repeating those heroics a week later.

The All Blacks and Ireland have established a formidable rivalry over the last decade, with the Six Nations heavyweights defeating the New Zealanders for the first time a decade ago, and later claiming another four wins since.

But the All Blacks are looking to extend their mammoth 52-game unbeaten run at Eden Park and build on their three-Test winning streak against the Irish. Will Jordan scored in front of more than 61,000 fans last November, as the All Blacks claimed a 13-point triumph in Dublin.

“Ireland have consistently shown in the last five, six years that they’re a top-three, top-four team in the world. They’ve been ranked number one as well,” Blair said.

“I’ve been really impressed with their game over the years. They’ve obviously got a number of brilliant individuals but they’ve got real cohesion amongst the guys who are playing, the coaching group and what they’re trying to do on the pitch.”