New Zealand v Ireland: second rugby union Test – live!

Key events:

Pre game reading

I mentioned in the Teams update that there are questions about Sexton’s head injury situation. Here’s our man Michael Aylwin with more on that.

I’m drinking coffee, why not tell me what you’re up to in whatever timezone you find yourself in for this match. Or tell me what you reckon about the match itself if you insist.

You can do all this and more via email or on the now Musk-less Twitter

Teams

Just the one change for both teams from Eden Park.

Andy Farrell prefers Mack Hansen on the wing over last week’s try-scorer Keith Earls, with Johnny Sexton remaining in the ten shirt despite quite a few questions being asking about his head injury protocols after his early exit seven days ago.

For New Zealand, Ian Foster brings in Dalton Papalii on the blindside, while flying shoulder aficionado Scott Barrett moves into the second row in place of the concussed Sam Whitelock.

New Zealand: Jordie Barrett; Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Leicester Fainga’anuku; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; George Bower, Codie Taylor, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Dalton Papalii, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea.

Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross, Angus Ta’avao, Patrick Tuipulotu, Pita Gus Sowakula, Folau Fakatava, Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan.

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (captain), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Bundee Aki.

Preamble

Welcome to Dunedin, everyone.

Ireland arrived in New Zealand with a some hope of winning the opening game of the series in Eden Park. Why? Because Andy Farrell’s men had managed to win three of the last five meeting between the sides, that’s why. This of course forgets that the All Blacks hadn’t lost at Eden Park since the year Legends Of The Fall was released – a winning period of inordinate length that still feels not quite a long as the experience of watching that sodding film – and that none of Ireland’s recent wins have come anywhere else in Aotearoa either.

This history is working against the men in green today, as well as that scoreboard thumping they took seven days ago featuring a ruthless example of the patented All Black Fifteen Minute Soul Splinterer™ at the end of the first half. But, and bear with me here, in between New Zealand running riot Ireland looked decent, and a proportion of said riotousness was facilitated by some poor execution or simple mistakes on the part of the tourists. Fix that and can they punch through last week’s result and the enormous historical weight of losing on these islands?

We’ll find out in the next few hours.

source: theguardian.com