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The Ireland insight Dave Rennie wanted from Jordie Barrett ahead of Eden Park Test
reporting from Auckland
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All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has leaned on in-form midfielder Jordie Barrett for some Ireland advice as they prepare for their Nations Championship fixture at Eden Park.
Barrett played alongside some of the Ireland squad during his successful stint at Leinster, winning a URC title in 2025.
The short-term sabbatical, where he played with a bunch of the current squad, may come in handy for Rennie and his coaching staff when previewing Andy Farrell’s side this weekend.
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Rennie’s men have assembled in Auckland ahead of their third Nations Championship fixture this weekend, with both Ireland and the All Blacks on two wins from their opening two encounters.
Ireland took care of business in a close encounter against the Wallabies in Sydney, 33-31, before beating Japan, 36-20, last weekend in Newcastle.
When asked about whether Barrett will be providing any advice this week on the Irish players, Rennie said they used his knowledge on Sunday evening.
“Yeah, we had a leaders meeting last night, and so we did get him to confirm some of our thoughts,” Rennie said in Auckland on Monday.
“I mean, a lot of our guys have played the Irish a lot and know a lot about them. I reckon the boys watch a lot more Northern Hemisphere footy than they might have half a dozen years ago, and so they know a lot about the players.
“And of course, the Irish have commanded a lot of respect through what they’ve achieved. So we look, we know what’s coming, and we’re going to have to be very good in a lot of areas.”
Ireland travel to New Zealand for the first time since their famous series victory back in 2022, where they came back from 1-0 down to clinch the series with a 32-22 victory in Wellington.
The 2022 series, despite the All Blacks winning the Eden Park encounter in Auckland, created a rivalry between the two sides, one that Rennie explained has a lot to do with the Ireland side’s success.
“Yeah, I mean they’re such a good side, and they’ve had success of late. So yeah, I mean, we’ll talk about South Africa being a massive rival, and of course the rivalry with Australia, and everyone loves England.
“So, yeah, I guess it depends who you’re playing. Ireland are a very good defensive side; they’re going to kick a lot of balls and try and apply pressure through that.
“And so we need to get excited about it and work hard for opportunities. But we’re going to have to balance our game out.”
