RUGBY: By Iliesa Tora of RNZ Pacific
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea jetted out to Samoa on Sunday morning, hours after leading his team to a 40-21 win over Ireland at Eden Park.
The former Rongotai College First XV captain and head boy touched down at Faleolo International Airport less than 24 hours after ensuring the All Blacks’ record at Eden Park remained intact. The All Blacks have lost at the ground since 1994.
Savea and his wife, Saskia, are in Samoa with their three children and will travel on to Fiji before returning to rejoin the All Blacks squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Samoa Observer reported the family was met by Krista Liu of local car rental company Lulu, where they had arranged a vehicle for their stay. They were accompanied by Savea’s parents.
Savea is originally from Suimu village.
The tough looseman is part of the new All Blacks management and leadership team, that has now recorded a clean sheet in their first Test series of 2026.
Having created history in New Zealand because of their Pasifika heritage, head coach Dave Rennie and his team won three out of three in the first leg of the Nations Championship.
Cook Islander
Rennie, whose mother is from the Cook Islands, is the first with Pasifika heritage to be head coach of the All Blacks.
He has Fa’alogo Tana Umaga, who is of Samoan origin and the first Pasifika to be captain of the premier New Zealand side, as one of his assistants.
Savea is part of the 12 players in the current squad who have Pasifika heritage as well.
The side have recorded wins over France, Italy and Ireland in their first three home matches.
While there were some questions around how the side performed against both France and Italy, Rennie believes Saturday night’s win over Ireland in front of more than 48,000 fans in Auckland showed promise of what the team can do moving forward.
Although it was a was a tense start to the match, with both teams having periods on attack, it was the All Blacks who were the most enterprising and they were rewarded with the first try, with lock Patrick Tuipulotu scoring near the posts after several phases.
Savea said post-match he was proud of the team’s performance against Ireland, and applauded the squad as a whole, especially those who did not get game time, for pushing the players at trainings.
‘Control what we can’
“I think for us we only can control what we can control, and that’s our preparation,” he said. “We knew what was at stake and the best way to prepare for them was how we turned up each day and prepared.”
“Thought the lads prepared well, especially our guys that didn’t get a chance. They really pushed us to the limit at trainings and when you get that and then we get a performance like that tonight, just proud of everyone in the squad.”
Savea scored a try in the clash, showing his power when he picked up from the base of a scrum, following a penalty option, and bulldozed his way to the line despite tacklers hanging on to him.
Aumua: We’re always ready’
Tough hooker Asafo Aumua was thrust into the game earlier than planned, when Cody Taylor had to leave the field in the first spell through injury.
Aumua said captain Savea had always reminded the players that as an All Black they have to be ready for the call all the time, which he said was a practical lesson for him on Saturday.
“It was tough,” he said at the post-match conference. “Obviously, didn’t expect to come on there early, but as All Blacks, Ardie always says we’re always ready. So, yeah, just happy to get the win.
“Focusing on the next job, obviously a lineout and just took it moment by moment.”
Aumua was one of the six try-scorers in the match, getting that shortly after he took the field.
“I looked at the big screen my eyes were open, but I could just see black. I did definitely put it down. I just didn’t know if it was on the line or not.”
He said the message from Savea was for the team to keep going, keep the ball moving and keep the opposition guessing.
“Just try and keep keep the ball moving, keep it alive, try not to give the opposition rest. It’s pretty hard fitness-wise.”
Coach Rennie happy
Rennie said post-match the players had put in the hard work and that was beginning to show.
It was a big jump from the close two point 34-32 win over France at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch in the first game.
But as the first three wins wrapped up the first international calendar for the year Rennie and his team were also looking forward to the seven-match tour of South Africa, including three tests against the Springboks in South Africa and a fourth in the United States.
The reigning world champions will host matches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Johannesburg again in Baltimore.
“They’re such a good side, Ireland, as we saw tonight,” Rennie admitted at the post-match conference after the Eden Park dust had settled.
“We asked a lot of questions of them and they defended really well for big parts. If you give them access into your end of the field, they can hurt you, but I thought the balance of the game was really good tonight.
“We looked after the ball really well. Our big men carried and went a little bit more direct and [we had] smarter kicking that created opportunities for us.”
Rennie said the team defended well, especially on their line as Ireland had them on the backfoot time and time again during the match.
Ireland had arrived in New Zealand with two good wins under their belt – beating Australia 33-31 and Japan 36-20 in their first two Nations Championship tests.
“They came here with a lot of confidence,” Rennie said.
“They have won a series here last time and they are a very experienced squad who have played a lot of footy together. We’re quite a new group. These guys played the Six Nations a few months ago.
“I would have taken a one-point win, but I thought we were pretty clinical when it mattered. A lot of the hard work that we’ve been putting in, on and off the field, we saw it on the park today.”
Assistant Blair confident
All Blacks attack coach and one of Rennie’s assistants, Mike Blair said he’s confident they can make history against the Springboks.
New Zealand ran in six tries off the back of some high-tempo and expansive rugby.
“Still some bits that we can do better, definitely,” he told journalists after the game.
“It sounds strange to say when you put 40 points on the board, but some really pleasing stuff, some good ball movement, some good decision making.
“Once we get into the 22, I think we’ve got some growth there. You need variety. You’ve got to have the ability to play through a team, but also to manipulate a team.”
South Africa have also won three first three matches in the series, beating Six Nations teams England, Scotland and Wales.
But Blair is confident the All Blacks can win the upcoming four-test series against the World Champions, which starts next month, if they keep growing and stay consistent.
Rennie will announce the 44-member tour squad next week, with at least 10 more players added to the current squad.
“It’s going to be a big step up for us, so we’re going to have to evolve and improve again,” Blair added.
In other Nations Championship matches at the weekend, Australia managed their first win, a 57-10 win over Italy in Perth on Saturday night.
France beat Japan 42-15, South Africa thrashed Wales 43-0 while England beat Argentina 31-24.
Pacific trio lose again
Meanwhile, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga all lost their games at the weekend.
Fiji led Scotland 17-7 at halftime, following tries from captain Tevita Ikanivere, Selesitino Ravutaumada and Elia Canakaivata.
But Scottish side came back hard in the second spell and scored three of their own tries to win 33-17.
Flying Fijians head coach Senirusi Seruvakula said it was another tough loss, following earlier defeats at the hands of Wales and England.
He said despite preparing well during the week their bench could not function as planned.
“It showed in the first half. Our bench was not good, they did not come and lift the game and that’s what the last 20 minutes showed.
“[Scotland’s] bench was good and they carried the momentum of the game until the end and they never let down their pace.”
Fiji finished the Nations Championship without a win.
Leads given away
Samoa and Tonga also gave away leads in their matches to lose in their World Rugby Nations Cup matches.
Manu Samoa led Romania 17-14 at halftime, but ended up losing by a point in Uruguay.
The Miracle Fai’ilagi captained team scored tries through Alamanda Motuga, Abraham Papali’i, Iakopo Petelo-Mapu and Fai’ilagi himself.
Romania scored five tries, one including that from Fiji-born Iliesa Lesumaitaiti Tiqe in the first half.
Tonga also suffered the same fate against Portugal, going down 32-28 to Portugal in Canada.
The Tongans managed tries through Otunuku Jr Pauta, Taniela Filimone, Telusa Veainu and captain Solomone Kata.
Portugal scored five tries, including a double to Raffaele Storti.
Both Samoa and Tonga had won a game each and lost two on the road out of their three matches.
The second round of both the Nations Cup and the Nations Championship will be held in November.
Other Nations Cup results:
Hong Kong bt Uruguay 42-40
Georgia bt Chile 49-22
USA bt Spain 29-22
Canada bt Zimbabwe 23-19
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