Nations Championship: New Zealand v Ireland, Eden Park, Saturday, 8.10am Irish time – Live on Virgin MediaThe best has been kept until last. Well, the toughest anyway. Ireland sign off their tour and their season by entering the mecca where the All Blacks cannot be beaten, or at any rate where they haven’t been since Bill Clinton was president of the USA and Brazil were winning the World Cup in the USA.It was July 1994 when Patrice Lagisquet completed an outrageous French try from inside their own 22 at Eden Park – so good it earned the sobriquet “The try from the end of the earth”. That put the seal on a historic 2-0 series win. That was then, this is now. The All Blacks have won 50 and drawn two of their subsequent 52 Tests in their Auckland citadel.It’s a faintly ridiculous record. For the All Blacks, it is inspiring and adds pressure. For visiting sides, it is both intimidating and a huge one-off prize, perhaps the biggest outside of World Cups.Andy Farrell admitted that winning would be “right up there” with any other in his coaching career. “It has to be. Their record speaks for itself. It has to be as difficult a job as anything else in world rugby at this moment in time.”Typically, Farrell wants his side to embrace it. “Where else would you rather be? Not making the most out of the fortunate position that we’re in would be a shame, wouldn’t it? We always reference ‘how do you want to wake up on Monday morning?’. Have no regrets, all of that.Ireland head coach Andy Farrell at his squad announcement for Saturday's Nations Championship match against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho “So, making sure that people are able to be themselves and perform on a big stage like that, that’s what it’s all about. Don’t waste the opportunity.”This game will likely be in keeping with the high-tempo, high-scoring fare of the opening two rounds of the Nations Championship. Yet despite the mild weather continuing into the weekend, it will not be a dry ball. That expectation is based on past visits, as well as the Irish coaching staff attending the Warriors rugby league training session on Wednesday evening. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or not, it gets very dewy, especially here on the ground. We were out at the Warriors, watching them train. That was a six o’clock session and the pitch was already saturated. “And that’s why they train in those conditions, because training in the sunshine is not reality if you’re playing a night match. The ball will be wet. But we know that and certainly so do they. I think you’ve got two positive teams who want to play a nice brand of rugby anyway.”Irish rugby's state of the union down under Listen | 32:04Dave Rennie is only into his third game as New Zealand head coach but has already imposed his emphasis on work-rate. His BIGGA mantra (back in the game and go again) highlights the need for every player to bounce to their feet within three seconds. He’s been able to tap into the Hurricanes’ Super Rugby-winning momentum, not least with a 9-10-12 axis of Cam Roigard, Ruben Love and Jordie Barrett, whose inside knowledge of the Leinster backs can only benefit his team.The catching and kicking of the Hurricanes’ outside back Josh Moorby, who made his Test debut off the bench in last week’s 47-17 win over Italy, has been accommodated. Quinn Tupaea returns at outside centre, as do the locks Josh Lord and Patrick Tuipulotu, with Tupou Vaa’i, – a la Tadhg Beirne – shifting to blindside. New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie says he expects a stiff challenge from Ireland. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho “Oh, we know where they’re coming,” said Rennie of Ireland. “They’ve got a really good kicking game and they’ll apply pressure through that. There’s a lot of detail within their attack and they’ve got a real good short passing game and they’re prepared to go multi-phase. “Our job’s to get them out of their comfort zone, ensure through how we defend that they’re below their best and try and profit off that. We’re going to have to bar up big time at set-piece and we’re pretty confident with the group we’ve got that we can apply pressure there.“It’s a case of us being really clinical. Our mindset’s been excellent. We’ve got to be prepared to play through them and squeeze them up a bit and pick them off, as opposed to try and go wide at every opportunity. They’re a really good side and we’re aware of that. We genuinely respect their ability and that excites me because I know the boys are going to bar up.” The Irish defence and scrum are concerns, for although Tom O’Toole did well at loosehead in the last two rounds of the Six Nations, he has conceded five penalties in the last two games. [ Reporting on the Ireland rugby team is a glimpse into a world of luxuryOpens in new window ]New Zealand are much nearer full strength and are liable to be better for their last two weeks. Granted, Farrell’s post-World Cup, Sexton-less team has had landmark away wins in Marseille, Durban and Twickenham. And there’s another straw in the wind – Ireland have won at Eden Park before, against Australia in the 2011 World Cup.Ireland are also on a six-game winning run. They will need their best performance of this tour and perhaps of the season to be competitive, but one senses they are primed for a big display.The return of Robert Baloucoune and preference for Jimmy O’Brien does inject more pace. But the All Blacks and France have appeared to be playing at a higher tempo than Ireland and everyone else bar an experimental Springboks over the last two weeks. 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/DaV5S7cDxWF0xDDILjarcwWhat’s more, unlike the class of 2022 which created history with a series win in New Zealand, this team is missing five or six players who would have been in the matchday squad. To be really competitive and to come away with something tangible would be an achievement. Storming the fortress would truly be something else. Ireland: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Tom O‘Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).Replacements: Ronán Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster), Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht).New Zealand: Damian McKenzie (Chiefs); Will Jordan (Crusaders), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs), Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes); Josh Moorby (Hurricanes); Ruben Love (Hurricanes), Cam Roigard (Hurricanes); Ethan de Groot (Highlanders), Codie Taylor (Crusaders), Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes), Josh Lord (Chiefs), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs), Luke Jacobson (Chiefs), Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika, Capt).Replacements: Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes), Xavier Numia (Hurricanes), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders), Anton Segner (Blues), Peter Lakai (Hurricanes), Cortez Ratima (Chiefs), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs), Caleb Clarke (Blues).Referee: Nic Berry (RA)Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR)Assistant Referee 2: Damon Murphy (RA)TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)Overall head-to-head: Played 39, New Zealand 33 wins, Ireland 5 wins, 1 draw.Last six meetings: (2022) New Zealand 42 Ireland 19; New Zealand 12 Ireland 23; New Zealand 22 Ireland 32. (2023, RWC q/f) New Zealand 28 Ireland 24. (2024) Ireland 23 New Zealand 23. (2025) Ireland 13 New Zealand 26 (Chicago).Five-game form guide: New Zealand W 28-14 v Australia (a); W 26-13 v Ireland (Chicago); W 25-17 v Scotland (a); L 19-33 v England (a); W 52-26 v Wales (a). Ireland W 42-21 v England (a); W 27-17 v Wales (h); W 43-21 v Scotland (h); W 33-31 v Australia (a); W 36-20 v Japan Newcastle). Betting: 1/6 New Zealand, 22/1 Draw, 9/2 Ireland. (Handicap odds, Ireland + 13pts) 10/11 New Zealand, 22/1 Draw, 10/11 Ireland. Forecast: New Zealand by 10-12.