Irish Rugby

Image source, Getty Images

Such has been the start to the season made by Jack Crowley, it did not register as a surprise that the 25-year-old was preferred in the Ireland 10 jersey to face the All Blacks.

The Munster man was the incumbent when this fixture was played in Dublin last year but, come the end of the autumn window, had lost his place to Leinster rival Sam Prendergast.

Prendergast started four of five in the Six Nations and the pair split time across the summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal but Crowley has led the Munster attack well in the opening weeks of the United Rugby Championship season, most notably against Leinster in Croke Park last time out.

In comparison to his confident start to the campaign, Prendergast has struggled in a Leinster side lacking rhythm.

Can Crowley transfer his club form back on to the international stage?

There's also been a change at fly-half for the All Blacks with Beauden Barrett returning.

The two-time World Rugby player of the year is now 34-years-old, and missed out against Australia last time out through injury.

With Richie Mo'unga set to return from Japan in the summer, and Damian McKenzie also having featured in the jersey this year, there is plenty of competition among All Blacks tens too.

At the start of a big autumn, a strong performance in Soldier Field would represent a significant marker for Barrett.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist in Chicago

Image source, Inpho

Ireland captain Dan Sheehan says his side are "ready to rip" into Saturday's Chicago Test against New Zealand as he brushed aside talk of the squad being "undercooked".

Sheehan is one of several Ireland players with only one game under his belt since the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer.

But the hooker insists Ireland will be ready for the latest chapter of their All Blacks rivalry at Soldier Field as Andy Farrell's team attempt to replicate the famous 2016 win over the southern hemisphere giants at the home of the Chicago Bears.

"I've seen a good bit [of talk] that we might be undercooked, but I don't think it's a massive part," said Sheehan, who will lead Ireland with squad skipper Caelan Doris on the bench.

"I think the way we've prepped over the last two weeks has been through real tough training [sessions] and we can take confidence from that and how we trained.

"Obviously a few lads have played a bit more game time but I think people are good and refreshed bodies ready to rip into Saturday."

While Ireland's frontline players have not played together since the Six Nations, New Zealand have completed a three-Test series against France and a six-game Rugby Championship campaign since July.

"We've obviously had two different journeys as teams over the last few months and you can look at it both ways," added Sheehan.

"Some are fresh, some are battle-hardened, whatever way you look at it. The reality is it doesn't matter.

"Both teams are full of world-class players and professionals that are well able to rock up on a day and put out their best performance. I suppose we'll see tomorrow, but I don't think it'll be a factor."

Saturday will be the second time Sheehan has captained Ireland, while he also led the British and Irish Lions to victory over the Western Force in June.

While leading the side out at Soldier Field will be a significant moment in the 27-year-old's career, Sheehan insists it has been business as usual for him in the build-up.

"Nothing majorly changes for myself or my own prep and I'll go about my business as usual obviously with a bit of a mind on the rest of the lads.

"There's so many leaders in our group and we've got a great leadership group that almost do the work for us and throughout the years we've always sort of just taken our own little bits through the week that we have to lead."

Image source, Getty Images

Both sides on Saturday are able to field former World Rugby players of the year at open-side flanker.

Savea, who won the award in 2023, was only breaking into the international set-up when this pair met at Soldier Field nine years ago but now is arguably the talismanic figure in the New Zealand squad.

A four-time recipient of the All Blacks' player of the year award, the 32-year-old won his 100th cap during this year's Rugby Championship and both his ball-playing ability and work-rate ensure his status among the game's very best players.

Also 32-years-old, Van der Flier was making just his third Ireland appearance in the historic 2016 win.

The Leinster player, who immediately preceded Savea as world player of the year, has featured in 10 straight meetings between the sides with Saturday representing the 11th. Given that the pair also went head-to-head at under-20s level, his rivalry with Savea is now a familiar one.

After the disappointment of missing out on the Test team for the British and Irish Lions, and seeing Leinster's back row bossed by an inspirational Tadhg Beirne against Munster in Croke Park, Ireland will be banking on Van der Flier being at his best back in Chicago.

Image source, Getty Images

While the eye was almost automatically trained upon who would be the occupant of the 10 jersey when Andy Farrell revealed his team on Thursday afternoon, the big surprise was the presence of Stuart McCloskey at inside centre.

The 33-year-old starts for a third time in succession but his selection for Soldier Field on Saturday is certainly a different kettle of fish compared to summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal when a host of regulars were on British and Irish Lions duty.

McCloskey's 22nd cap will be his first run against the All Blacks and, although Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw travelled carrying knocks, Farrell says the Ulster player "thoroughly deserves" his chance.

Something of a form selection, the hard-carrying McCloskey will be expected to provide go-forward ball as one of few Irish players with three starts under his belt already this season.

His opposite number Jordie Barrett is hugely familiar to plenty of Ireland's side after a short stint with Leinster last season.

A versatile player with a complete skillset, Barrett's best position is at inside centre and, at 28-years-old, he is one of the best 12s in the world.

Head coach Scott Robertson described him this week as the sort of player who "coaches before they are coaches" and his contributions figure to be even more valuable on Saturday given how well he knows the opposition.

Image source, Getty Images

The Chicago 'rematch' is set for Saturday with Ireland and New Zealand returning to the scene of their historic 2019 battle at Soldier Field.

Head coaches Andy Farrell and Scott Robertson have named their squads for the match with Jack Crowley given the nod at fly-half for Ireland and Beauden Barrett named in the same position for the All Blacks.

In their last ten meetings, the sides are level with five wins apiece - so who will come out on top this weekend?

We'll have live radio commentary of the match on BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra from 20:00 GMT.

Jim Neilly will be joined by former Ireland forward Chris Henry on commentary.

The build-up will start on the BBC Sport website with text commentary from 18:30 GMT with everything you need to know ahead of the game.

And why don't you get yourself in the mood by listening (or watching on YouTube, external) the latest Ireland Rugby Social podcast as Gavin Andrews takes Conor Murray and Rory Best on a trip down memory lane.

We've also got this great recap of that famous win in 2019 from former Ireland wing Andrew Trimble too.

Image source, Getty Images

Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell said captain Caelan Doris "feels really good" as his side prepare to face the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday.

Leinster back row Doris has not played since his province's defeat by Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup semi-finals in May.

He sustained a shoulder problem that required surgery in that game and missed the British and Irish Lions' series win in Australia during the summer.

Despite not featuring in Leinster's first five games of the 2025-26 United Rugby Championship, O'Connell said there has been "very little minding" of Doris in the build-up to Saturday's contest at Soldier Field (20:10 GMT).

"He's been through a very good return to play period now and he's had a good few weeks," said the former lock of the side's skipper.

"There's been very little minding of him or anything like that - there hasn't been any.

"He's fine, he's trained really well, he feels really good, he's shown no ill-effects whatsoever."

Given Doris' lack of match action, it remains to be seen whether he will face Scott Robertson's side from the start or make his return from the bench.

"There's one train of thought that says you start a guy like that because he could come on after a minute anyway, and there's another train of thought that says you bring him off the bench," added O'Connell.

Ireland have Jack Conan, who himself has not played since the Lions' third Test against Australia in August, as another option at number eight.

For what is Andy Farrell's first game in charge of the side for 11 months after his sabbatical leading the Lions to victory down under, Ireland's 36-man squad travelled to Chicago last week with the full party taking part in training on Tuesday.

Bundee Aki (hip) and Robbie Henshaw (groin) were among the players who had travelled with knocks but O'Connell confirmed "everyone's good to go".

Back three players Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and Calvin Nash, as well as locks Joe McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu, did not travel because of injury.

Saturday's game is the start of an autumn series that will also see Farrell's side play Japan, Australia and South Africa in Dublin.

Image source, BBC Sport

On this week's Ireland Rugby Social, Conor and Gavin are joined by former Ireland captain Rory Best.

In the week that Ireland take on New Zealand in Chicago to start their autumn Test series, the trio take a trip down memory lane to Ireland's famous win over the All Blacks at Soldier Field in 2016.

Download and subscribe to the Ireland Rugby Socials now on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Inpho

Luke McGrath says Leinster owed their fans an improved performance as they shook off a sluggish start to the season to thrash Zebre in Dublin.

The United Rugby Championship holders came into Saturday's Aviva Stadium game on the back of three defeats in four, including last week's heavy loss to rivals Munster at Croke Park.

But despite handing out six debuts in a team shorn of their Ireland contingent, they overcame a spirited first-half showing from Zebre to score eight tries and seal a 50-26 win.

"It was such a tough week, especially after last weekend," captain McGrath told Premier Sports.

"We felt we owed it to our fans to put on a better performance and we're really pleased we were able to do that."

The scrum-half added: "It was far from perfect.

"There was so much inexperience in there, so much excitement before the game, so I'm happy for those six guys and thankfully we made it a good bonus-point win, something we haven't been amazing at this season."

Image source, Inpho

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy lamented his side's error count as their impressive start to the United Rugby Championship season was halted by the Lions at Ellis Park.

The Irish province went into the Johannesburg contest chasing a fourth straight win, and while an inspired Rob Baloucoune helped keep those hopes alive, the Lions scored seven tries to win 49-31.

In addition to Baloucoune's brilliant treble, James Hume and David McCann scores secured a try bonus point for Ulster, but Murphy was disappointed by his side's mistake-laden display at altitude.

"It's a difficult one to take in the end, we're in that game for 55, 60 minutes and let it get away from us in the end," said Murphy.

"Over the course of the game, our error count was probably too high and we just invited the Lions into the game.

"Scrum dominance from them put us under a lot of pressure, but it's a massive effort from the players in a very tough situation, 28 or 29 degrees at altitude, it's not an easy place to be."

On Baloucoune's hat-trick, Murphy added: "Incredible. We have an embarrassment of riches in the back three. Zac [Ward] has been on fire, Werner [Kok] has been really good and Mikey [Lowry]'s flying.

"Having Rob back is fantastic. He got through another full game, which is exciting for us, and long may that fitness level continue."

Juarno Augustus' late withdrawal elevated debutant Bryn Ward into the starting back row, while lock Joe Hopes made his first start.

"I thought both guys put in a big shift. There's going to be little thing there that we'll review and give them some feedback. It's good to see them both come through the game and contribute so much."

Following last week's bonus-point win over the Sharks in Durban, Ulster leave South Africa with six points from two games.

"You're never satisfied when you've lost a game that was in the balance at 60 minutes. Six points is a decent return, but we're still hurting today.

"It's really important when we get back into Belfast against Benetton in a few weeks that we flick the switch and get back to winning ways."