Steve Hansen on why Ireland won't beat the All Blacks at Eden Park + South Africa v Wales, Australia v Italy & Argentina v England

Eden Park. 32 years. 52 matches. The All Blacks’ fortress is on the line as Ireland roll into Auckland with a full-strength mindset, and David Pembroke, Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie lay out exactly where this Test will be won: set piece, breakdown chaos, aerial contests and whether New Zealand’s timing and depth can beat Ireland’s line speed and ruck dark arts. There’s also a big refereeing focus with Nic Berry in the middle, plus a frank debate on scrums, quick-ball interpretations, and whether the game has made it too easy to go straight to free kicks. Off the field, World Rugby’s TMO “centre of excellence” trial sparks a proper rethink of who runs the game: the referee, the TMO, or everyone at once. Then it’s across the weekend: Japan v France in Tokyo, Wallabies v Italy in Perth, Fiji v Scotland, Springboks v Wales, and Argentina v England. Also in this episode: ● Can Ireland break the Eden Park streak? ● New Zealand and Ireland selections, benches, and lineout clues ● Nic Berry’s refereeing style and breakdown expectations ● Scrums, free kicks, and the missing contest for possession ● World Rugby’s remote TMO trial and bunker debate ● Nations Championship previews: Japan-France, Argentina-England, Springboks-Wales PLUS: The episode tackles travel, player welfare, and what “all in” really means for new World Rugby competitions. SIGN UP TO THE BIG 3 HERE: https://tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity 👈👈 Ask Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇 https://tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions 👈👈 👉 Want more from Rugby Unity? Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive content, blogs, behind-the-scenes insights, and full podcast access — all in one place: Rugby Unity | Substack 📧 Get in touch: info@rugbyunity.com.au Thanks to Eleven labs for providing a grant to Rugby Unity so that we can use their world leading software. TikTok | Instagram | YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.