At the end of a post-Lions, ten-month season, Ireland continued their preparations for the 12th and final Test of their campaign when facing New Zealand in Eden Park on Saturday (kick-off 7.10pm local time/8.10am Irish) by training with a fully fit squad.Ahead of their last and most daunting Test in this campaign all 36 players took a full part in training at Auckland’s Kings College on another crisp, cool but sunny day under clear blue skies in the city.“It was great to have everyone out there on the fourth week of the tour,” said backs coach Andrew Goodman. “Everyone was training and available, so it’s a good place to be at the end of the tour.”Perhaps the location and the scale of the task facing Ireland at the All Blacks’ Eden Park fortress where they haven’t lost in 52 games stretching back 32 years has acted as an antidote to any end-of-season fatigue.Goodman maintained that there is none of that, either mental or physical.“Yeah, it doesn’t feel like it. There’s been no mention of it, I suppose, for the coaching group. It feels like we’re just getting started. We’ve just got these guys back and it’s been great to be back in the saddle and doing what we love.“But the boys have been great. Their energy has been great. As I said, there’s been no mention of end of year tour or season length or anything, so I’ve been really positive around the way the boys have fronted up to training every day.”Despite the slew of injured wingers back home – Mack Hansen, Tommy O’Brien, Calvin Nash and Shayne Bolton – not to mention the loss of James Lowe, Robert Baloucoune’s anticipated return after missing the wins over Australia and Japan will mean some good players missing out. “The form obviously comes into it. There’s been some guys, like you say, Jimmy [O’Brien], there was much improved performance from him from Australia to Japan.“It’s great to see Jacob [Stockdale] back who hadn’t played for eight to ten weeks with his injury at the end of the season for Ulster.“To have Rob [Baloucoune] back training and fit, he obviously had an amazing Six Nations for us and we were looking forward to getting him going from week one.“It’s a shame he pulled up with an injury, but he’s charging around training again today. It creates a healthy dilemma for us as coaches and some good discussions.”Baloucoune had been an original pick against Australia and aside from his return on the right wing for O’Brien, the one other change from the starting XV against Australia will likely see Tadhg Beirne start at blindside, with Sean Jansen a potential inclusion on the bench.That Ireland have been the chosen opposition for this southern hemisphere series of the inaugural Nations Championship at a venue where they have been only four times before can be taken as a compliment. Certainly, Andy Farrell feels it is a “privilege” and Goodman said: “It’s special any time to play New Zealand and to play at Eden Park. We know the history of the stadium and it’s probably the home of rugby, it really is, for the New Zealand team. “We’re really excited about being here and having the opportunity to go and put our best foot forward and to go and put a performance out there that we’re going to be really proud of.”There’s a school of thought that the All Blacks’ record at Eden Park amplifies the pressure on new coach Dave Rennie and his reconfigured team just three games into his tenure. But Goodman stressed: “To be honest we’re focused on our preparation every day. We’ve obviously got a few things we need to work on ourselves from the first couple of games and looking at the All Blacks around how we can stop the way they’re going to try and play the game.Join our Irish Times Rugby WhatsApp communityGet the best of our writing in the Irish Times rugby community (©INPHO/Henry Simpson/©INPHO/Henry Simpson) Join our Irish Times Rugby WhatsApp community and get our best rugby writing sent directly to your messages inbox. From provincial news to coverage of Ireland’s inaugural Nations Championship campaign, you won’t miss an update. Join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DaV5S7cDxWF0xDDILjarcw“So it’s been about preparation, the mentality building every day. I know there’s a big narrative around the streak etc but for us it’s around day-to-day preparation and making sure we get to a place where we can go and put our game on New Zealand at Eden Park.”As to Goodman’s impressions of this All Blacks team under Rennie and their new Scottish attack coach Mike Blair, he said: “They’ve got a great mindset to use the ball, don’t they, from anywhere in the field.“They’re playing quick, they’ve got some great athletes across the field and the speed of ball they’ve been getting in the first couple of games has allowed their game to flow and for guys like Cam Roigard to have a positive influence on the game for their back-three players that are all great athletes and good ball players as well.“So you can see they love to counter-attack, they love the transition, you can hear it in the language they’re using so you’ve seen little snippets of that through the first couple of games.”Goodman is enjoying being back in his home country for the first time since December, in his hometown of Nelson.“Yeah, it’s amazing. Mum and sister and nephew are all coming up tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to seeing some family and loved ones that I haven’t seen for a while.“New Zealand flat whites are amazing, I’m sure you’ve been enjoying a few of those. I’ve been tucking into a few of those and just a few of the things I’ve missed while being over in Ireland.“But there’s always been a healthy debate around the boys coming over to this side of the world – who does the best flat white, Australia or New Zealand.“I’ve been strongly pushing for New Zealand and I think these first couple of days the boys have been confirmed.”He anticipates another treat. “I haven’t had any pies yet, but I’m looking forward to my first one. And his favoured flavour in pies?“I don’t mind a wild venison if I can get a little boutique like that, but steak and cheese obviously would be the go-to.”