Simon Parker: 'The Grand Slam means nothing if we don't get this week right'

The All Blacks are in Chicago for the first leg of a historic Grand Slam tour, seeking to become just the fifth New Zealand side to conquer each of the home nations in consecutive weeks. However, there is little chance the squad will look past this weekend, given the immediate challenge that awaits.

The All Blacks will square off with Ireland in ‘The Rematch’, as it’s branded on posters across the city. It’s a fixture that draws on 2016’s famous upset, when the Irish claimed their first-ever win over the Kiwis.

While just a handful of players from that fateful Test remain in the All Blacks squad today, the gravity of the occasion is clearly present in the group as rookie flanker Simon Parker began a media session on Tuesday by saying his side “Certainly haven’t forgotten 2016.”

Parker himself was still in high school at the time, and while the details of the Test have become hazy, a powerful image has stood the test of time: The All Blacks’ faces after the full-time whistle, wearing their disappointment as the Irish celebrated.

The Irish recipe for success has evolved since then, but the core, winning components remain.

“They’ve got impact right across the park,” Parker told reporters. “They’ve got boys who can do the tough stuff and go at brick walls, then they’ve got people on the outside who can offload and play with a bit of flair.

“They’re a great set-piece back row as well, so that’s obviously a focus for us.”

For Parker individually, the Test could pit him against some of the world’s finest in his position, with a Lions-laden Irish pack awaiting at Soldier Field.

The Test rookie has experienced a rapid rise in 2025, and will be calling on all of his learnings from the Rugby Championship should he earn another start on the blindside flank.

“I probably couldn’t have imagined this at the start of the year,” he said. “Test rugby, the intensity of it, Super Rugby is still very physical, but when you match that with the speed of Test rugby, it’s a different beast.

“I’ve been loving my time in the environment, and just excited to, hopefully, go again.”

While the team has lofty goals over the coming month, Parker again emphasised the need to stay in the present to ensure those goals come to fruition, with rugby’s age-old rule ever-present.

“The Grand Slam means nothing if we don’t get this week right. That’s where all of our focus has been, getting our stuff right.

“Rugby’s a physical sport, so getting the physical battle right will be key.”