PremiumOpinionOpinion byGregor PaulRugby analyst·NZ Herald·16 Jul, 2026 06:30 AM5 mins to readRugby analyst and feature writerLiam Napier and Elliott Smith discuss the All Blacks team to confront Ireland.Maybe it’s an inevitability that after 120 years of sustained excellence, the All Blacks are battling a public desire for idealism, but the international rugby events of the past decade have induced a need for a heavy dose of realism.
The selection of Tupou Vaa’i, arguably New Zealand’s best lock,
