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Summer Tour: Māori All Blacks v Ireland

Ireland kick off their summer tour with Bundee Aki captaining a youthful team against the Māori All Blacks in Hamilton ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

The warm-up act for the start of the Test series in New Zealand is a particularly tasty encounter between Ireland and the Māori All Blacks, with both coaches giving youth its fling in Hamilton.

2022 SUMMER TOUR: Wednesday, June 29

MĀORI ALL BLACKS v IRELAND, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton, 7.05pm local time/8.05am Irish time (live Sky Sports Action/live updates RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)

Team News: Bundee Aki will captain Ireland in this uncapped match against the Māori All Blacks at FMG Stadium Waikato, as the two sides face off for the first time since 2010.

Aki returns to Hamilton, the home of the Chiefs, the team he won a Super Rugby title with back in 2013.

The back-line features Ciaran Frawley and Craig Casey at half-back, in-form Ulster ace James Hume completes the centre combination, while the back-three sees Jordan Larmour and Keith Earls on the wings with Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien at full-back.

Jeremy Loughman, Dave Heffernan and 23-year-old tighthead Tom O’Toole make up the front row, with Kieran Treadwell and promising Leinster youngster Joe McCarthy at lock.

Cian Prendergast, the Rugby Players Ireland Young Player of the Year, Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes join forces in a youthful back row.

The replacements are Niall Scannell, who has flown in as cover at hooker, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Michael Lowry.

Speaking ahead of the tour’s first midweek match, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Action with live updates also on RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell commented: “It’s huge, it’s everything to these players that are taking the field on Wednesday.

“It’s the biggest game of their lives. It is. I know there’s a three-game series coming up, but these two Māori games and what we’re trying to build and how we’re trying to put people under pressure and see how they come through that, is just as important.

“We know we’re up against a very strong Māori side, that’s exactly what we came over here for with the size of squad that we’ve got.”

He added: “We’re training with a squad of 23 guys who are getting ready for the Māori game, and then we’ve got 13 or 14 guys that are getting ready for a Test match.

“The Test match boys are not training with the subs, etc. We’re waiting to see how the Wednesday night game goes, who is going to get picked to take the field in the 23 for the Test match…

“We picked that on purpose because we want to be adaptable, we want to put ourselves under pressure, and I’m sure that the All Blacks are thinking the same.”

Meanwhile, scrum halves Brad Weber and TJ Perenara, with 95 New Zealand Test caps between them, are the co-captains of a Māori All Blacks team that has a blend of youth and experience.

Head coach Clayton McMillan has included 10 Māori All Black debutants, two of them being the Sullivan brothers, Zarn who starts at full-back and his older sibling Bailyn is on the bench.

As this is Chiefs country, it is fitting that club-mates Weber and Josh Ioane start together at half-back, while winger Shaun Stevenson, who scored a brace of tries when the Chiefs beat the Crusaders earlier this season, also starts on familiar turf.

Tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax is another Test-capped player, as is number 8 Cullen Grace who was a key lineout weapon when Crusaders won the recent Super Rugby Pacific grand final at Eden Park.

The Māori have a number of players back from their 2021 series against Samoa which they won 2-0 (35-10 and 38-21) at home last summer. They were 28-21 winners over Moana Pasifika in Hamilton in December 2020.

MĀORI ALL BLACKS: Zarn Sullivan (Auckland/Blues/Ngāti Kahungunu); Shaun Stevenson (North Harbour/Chiefs/Ngāpuhi), Billy Proctor (Wellington/Hurricanes/Ngāi Te Rangi/Ngāpuhi), Rameka Poihipi (Canterbury/Chiefs/Ngāti Whakaue), Connor Garden-Bachop (Wellington/Highlanders/Ngāti Awa); Josh Ioane (Otago/Chiefs/Te Rārawa), Brad Weber (Hawkes Bay/Chiefs/Ngāti Porou) (co-capt); Ollie Norris (Waikato/Chiefs/Ngāpuhi), Kurt Eklund (Bay of Plenty/Blues/Ngāti Kahu), Tyrel Lomax (Tasman/Hurricanes/Muaupoko/Ngāi Tūhoe), Josh Dickson (Otago/Highlanders/Ngāi Tahu), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hawkes Bay/Hurricanes/Ngāti Porou), Cameron Suafoa (North Harbour/Blues/Ngāpuhi), Billy Harmon (Canterbury/Highlanders/Ngāi Tahu), Cullen Grace (Canterbury/Crusaders/Ngāti Whakaue/Ngāti Raukawa).

Replacements: Tyrone Thompson (Hawkes Bay/Chiefs/Ngāi Tāmanuhiri/Ngāti Rangiwewehi), Tamaiti Williams (Canterbury/Crusaders/Ngāpuhi), Jermaine Ainsley (Otago/Highlanders/Te Rārawa/Te Arawa), Maanaki Selby-Rickit (Bay Of Plenty/Highlanders/Ngāti Raukawa/Ngāti Tūwharetoa), TK Howden (Manawatu/Hurricanes/Ngāi Tūhoe), TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes/Ngāti Rangitihi) (co-capt), Ruben Love (Wellington/Hurricanes/Te Atiawa), Bailyn Sullivan (Waikato/Hurricanes/Ngāti Kahungunu).

IRELAND: Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster); Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), James Hume (Banbridge/Ulster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) (capt), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Ciaran Frawley (Skerries/Leinster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster); Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster), Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Kieran Treadwell (Ballymena/Ulster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster).

Replacements: Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster), Michael Lowry (Banbridge/Ulster).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Jordan Way, Graham Cooper (both Australia)
Television Match Official: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)

Pre-Match Quotes: Bundee Aki (Ireland) –

It is a huge privilege (to be captain), it’s an honour. A very proud moment for myself and my family. A kid from south Auckland, not many opportunities come your way. Privileged to be here, be a part of this team and to lead the boys out.

“It’s special to do it here, that’s where I played my Super Rugby. Obviously it’s a huge thing to face the haka, obviously there’s a lot of heritage behind that.

“Same thing as usual, just embrace it, accept the challenge and go from there. There will be a lot of pride, there’ll be a lot of guys trying to make a statement. It’s their backyard that we’re going to be playing in.

“But it’s about us, as a group, how together we can be and how good we can be to take that challenge in front of us and just go after it.”

Clayton McMillan (Māori All Blacks) –

We are anticipating a huge challenge from Ireland on Wednesday. They are a top tier, physical team, with a strong defence.

“Having (Brad) Weber and (TJ) Perenara as co-captains ensures there is always strong leadership on the field, especially against the unrelenting Ireland side.

“For our debut players, this will be a proud moment to not only represent this team, but their whānau and their iwi.

“It will be a great opportunity for us to showcase Māori rugby internationally, it has been 12 years since the Māori All Blacks last played Ireland. We’re excited to take the field in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton).”

Pre-Match Links –

‘We’ve Got To Be Ready To Meet The Challenges Head On’ – Farrell

Casey: We’re Battle-Hardened From Season Back Home

‘Time To Put Our Best Foot Forward’ – Treadwell

In Pics: Ireland Squad Prep For Māori All Blacks

Aki: A Very Proud Moment For Myself And My Family

Farrell: It’s A Huge Game, It’s Everything To These Players

Previous Meetings –

1888: Tour Match: Ireland 4 New Zealand Natives 13, Lansdowne Road

2010: Summer Tour: New Zealand Māori 31 Ireland 28, Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua

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