Ireland to make Eden Park return for All Blacks Test

[ASFN Admin]

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Ireland lost 42-19 to the All Blacks on their last visit to Eden Park in 2022 [Getty Images]

Ireland will return to Eden Park to face New Zealand as part of next year's inaugural Nations Championship.

Andy Farrell's side will face Australia in Sydney on 4 July and face Japan on 11 July before travelling to Auckland to take on the All Blacks at the 50,000-capacity Eden Park on 18 July.

The November window sees Ireland host Argentina, Fiji and South Africa.

Ireland have had four previous visits to the spiritual home of New Zealand rugby, losing all four matches. Their most recent trip ended in a 42-19 defeat in the 2022 Test series opener, before historic wins in Dunedin and Wellington.

New Zealand's unbeaten streak of 52 Tests at Eden Park stretches back to a loss to France in July 1994.

The first edition of the biennial 12-team event comprises six rounds of matches across the summer and autumn Test windows before a 'finals weekend' on 27-29 November at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium.

After each team has played the other six from the opposing hemisphere once, they are ranked within their own hemisphere.

The finals weekend in London will start with the sixth-placed northern hemisphere side taking on their southern hemisphere equivalent, and culminate in the two group winners taking each other on for the title.

The results on the finals weekend will also contribute to a north v south overall score and title.

Ireland's fixtures

4 July

Australia v Ireland

11 July

Japan v Ireland

18 July

New Zealand v Ireland

6-8 November

Ireland v Argentina

13-15 November

Ireland v Fiji

21 November

Ireland v South Africa

Finals weekend

27 November

Sixth-place North v Sixth-place South

Third-place North v Third-place South

28 November

Fifth-place North v Fifth-place South

Second-place North v Second-place South

29 November

Fourth-place North v Fourth-place South

First-place North v First-place South

All you need to know about the Nations Championship

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