Australia v England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Wallabies win despite Darcy Swain red card

Rebecca Nelson has the duties of belting out “Ireland’s Call”, joined by the Irish players and a relatively healthy smattering of green jerseys up in the stands. A few waving flags, too - this is Ireland’s only tour of this World Cup cycle, of course, and they have travelled in both good number and with plenty of optimism.

Clad in that famous black jersey, Sam Cane and the New Zealand squad are jacket-less on what looks a pleasant enough evening in Auckland.

Johnny Sexton looks calm as he runs out for the 107th time in international rugby, leading out his Irish side as the Eden Park home faithful make their presence known.

The teams are beginning to gather themselves in the tunnel.Have Ireland ever had a better chance at a first win in New Zealand? Can the All Blacks refind their best after a middling 2021?

Forgive a momentary dip into nomenclature, but the full name of Leicester Ofa Ki Wales Twickenham Fainga’anuku deserves an explanation: New Zealand’s new wing was given his unique moniker by Malakai, his father, during the 1999 World Cup. Tonga’s sole win at that tournament was over Italy at Welford Road the day before Leicester was born - a straightforward deduction of what might have been in his dad’s thoughts.

It is, in fact, a particularly proud day for the Fainga’anukus - Leicester’s older brother Tima made his own international debut as a replacement for Tonga in a heavy Pacific Nations Cup defeat to Fiji this morning.

I understand that Malakai and his wife may be watching on at Eden Park. All Black left wings tend to go well - what danger can Leicester pose Ireland today?

“It’s the ultimate challenge, isn’t it? It doesn’t get any bigger than Eden Park on a dry evening. We know the challenge in front of us, but are excited at the same time.

“Finlay Bealham has got Covid, but Cian is fit, so we adapt and move on. There’s been all sorts of curve balls over the last ten days.

“I want to see some courage. I want to see us be ourselves from the word go. We know it won’t be perfect.”

“I’m great. I got off with a very mild dose but it was a very unique week preparing a team sitting at home via Zoom. But we are pretty much ready for this one now.

“To be fair, we’ve had two years like this in some ways, it just happens to be me and a couple of coaches this week. Sometimes different is good. The boys have enjoyed the challenge. It is going to be an outstanding test match between two great teams.

“We’ve kind of felt like an away team for the last two years so in our mind this is the biggest series we’ve had since the Lions in 2017. A lot of kudos goes to Ireland for making sure this series will be an outstanding one.”

Despite that midweek defeat, Ireland are rightly optimistic of a first win in New Zealand during the course of this tour. Most of this side have beaten the All Blacks, some more than once, and there are a number who will have fond memories of the Lions’ tour here in 2017. Could this be the day? If Ireland can start fast, it might just be...

For most sides, a return of 12 wins from 15 games across a busy year of international rugby would have represented a strong campaign, but things are different when you are coaching the All Blacks. Ian Foster is certainly under a bit of pressure after 2021, particularly following those two defeats on tour last November where his side failed to come particularly close against both France and Ireland.

How will they react this evening? They haven’t lost at Eden Park in 28 years, and the rugby public in New Zealand are beginning to demand definite improvement with next year’s World Cup starting to loom.

Midweek defeat to the Maori All Blacks was not perhaps the way that Andy Farrell would have wished to begin a gruelling tour schedule, but this is a very different Irish side. Back are all the big guns that finished as Six Nations runners-up.

Keith Earls was a midweek starter and retains his place, filling Andrew Conway’s hard-chasing, defensively-sound role on the right wing, while Peter O’Mahony is preferred to Jack Conan in the back row, allowing Caelan Doris to take the number eight shirt.

New Zealand aren’t the only ones dealing with Covid disruption – Finlay Bealham has been scratched off the bench after a positive test, meaning a late call-up for Tom O’Toole to provide prop cover alongside Cian Healy, who has made a remarkable recovery from what looked a serious injury on Wednesday.

Ireland: Keenan; Earls, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe; Sexton, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; Beirne, Ryan; O’Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Heffernan, Healy, O’Toole, Treadwell, Conan; Murray, Carbery, Aki