Ireland captain Dan Sheehan says Andy Farrell’s side must “make our own history” when they take on New Zealand at Eden Park in the Nations Championship on Saturday [08:10 BST].
The All Blacks have not been beaten at their Auckland fortress since 1994 and while Ireland won a Test series on away soil in 2022, they lost at Eden Park in the first of a three-match series.
They did follow that up with a first away win over the All Blacks in Dunedin before clinching the series in Wellington.
While New Zealand’s record at their “iconic” Auckland fortress has formed part of the conjecture prior to kick-off this week, Sheehan insists that has not been “something we’ve focused on massively”.
“It’s a special record, but we’re trying to get the best out of the group we’ve seen this year and we think we have it in us,” the 27-year-old Leinster hooker said.
“The capabilities in the squad, if we get them out, it will be a great game and hopefully we come out on top.
“They are an incredible outfit, especially at home, so any good performance on New Zealand soil is something to remember. We will be looking to recreate that.
“We’ve a new group here and a lot of the lads weren’t on that tour, so we’ve got to make our own history.”
