On July 16, New Zealand's rugby coach Dave Rennie announced a reshuffle in the All Blacks' starting XV for their upcoming Nations Championship match against Ireland at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Tupou Vaa'i has been moved from lock to blindside flanker, one of four changes made to the side that previously defeated Italy.

Josh Moorby, who debuted last week against Italy, earned his first start, while Quinn Tupaea returns to the centre. The second row will be formed by Josh Lord and Patrick Tuipulotu. Xavier Numia and Anton Segner, both recent debutants, have been named on the bench.

“We have selected a strong team that allows some of the combinations we have tested to continue building, and rewards players who have impressed over the last two rounds, including some of our recent debutants,” Rennie said in a statement on Thursday.

New Zealand currently sits second in the Southern Hemisphere standings of the Nations Championship, level on points with South Africa, following victories over Italy and France.

The full New Zealand team lineup is:

Replacements include Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia, Fletcher Newell, Anton Segner, Peter Lakai, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, and Caleb Clarke.