\u201cHe\u2019s carrying a little bit of an injury so we\u2019re just being cautious with him,\u201d assistant coach Mike Blair told the assembled media after the team trained in bright sunshine at North Harbour Stadium. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been really important to us for the last couple of games and for the last few years as well. We\u2019re just making sure he gets back to 100%.\u201d <\/p>\n
If there is anyone the All Blacks cannot do without on Saturday it is Barrett, the No.12 who played a season for Dublin club Leinster last year and has been one of the more consistently high performers over the past fortnight.<\/p>\n
Barrett, 29, has been an excellent sounding board for Ruben Love \u2013 relatively new to this level and, certainly, the No.10 jersey \u2013 and has found a balance with his kicking and running game that some of his teammates have struggled to match.<\/p>\n
Barrett\u2019s high-impact game and leadership will be key against an Ireland team ranked No.3 in the world who will arrive at Eden Park with a genuine belief<\/a> they can end the All Blacks\u2019 52-Test unbeaten streak at their fortress and, indeed, is probably one of the few players, alongside skipper Ardie Savea, guaranteed a start when fit.<\/p>\n Beauden Barrett, left, and Ruben Love train with the All Blacks. (Source: Photosport)<\/p>\n The possibility of older brother Beauden playing is far less certain. The 35-year-old has not played a part in either of the first Tests of the year and, while he could replace Damian McKenzie at fullback, or play a role on the bench, it appears that Love still has the inside running for the No.10 jersey as he builds on a solid start.<\/p>\n Asked about Beauden, Blair, the former Scotland international halfback, said Beauden\u2019s quality at training showed why he has 144 Test caps.<\/p>\n “When you watch him train that\u2019s not surprising,” Blair said. “Some of his short-game touches and his vision and composure\u2026 you can see exactly why he\u2019s got those caps.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be a difficult period for him I\u2019m sure seeing Ruben come in but I\u2019ll think he\u2019ll understand that as well. Ruben is a young 10 coming through and it\u2019s important to give him a couple of games to steady his feet and allow him to learn but Beauden is still very much in the picture.\u201d<\/p>\n Blair said of Love: \u201cHe hasn\u2019t skipped a beat all week. Throughout the whole campaign, he\u2019s been a really impressive young man.\u201d<\/p>\n Likewise, 24-year-old loose forward Anton Segner, who made his debut for the All Blacks last weekend when he came off the bench at halftime against Italy.<\/p>\n The German-born Segner has made a good fist of the start to his Test career. He is clearly a tough and clever young man with excellent rugby instincts and his rise to the top and performance in Wellington has not gone unnoticed overseas.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been huge and I\u2019m getting a direct response on my social media,\u201d Segner said today. \u201cI\u2019m getting plenty of comments and messages of support and people saying how proud they are of me\u2026 the Germany rugby president got in touch with me to say that ‘\u2018all of German rugby is right behind you’.<\/p>\n All Blacks flanker Anton Segner is tackled during his team’s win over Italy in Wellington. (Source: Photosport)<\/p>\n \u201cIt goes to show that the All Blacks are bigger than just a New Zealand rugby team, they definitely have a global impact, even in non-rugby nations like Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n Segner was asked to describe his memories of the All Blacks playing Ireland and cited the 2013 Test in Dublin that was won by the visitors after the 80 minutes was up, thanks to a Ryan Crotty try in the left corner. He did however get the year wrong, although that’s not surprising given Segner was 12 years old at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one picture that\u2019s been floating in my head over the last couple of days when I think about iconic Irish-All Blacks Tests,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a prime example and it also shows what it takes to beat the Irish is an 80-minute effort.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Beauden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/beauden-barrett-left-and-ruben-love-train-with-the-all-black-T2IO5F5G5JAQXNFCJCHPWRDNNE.jpg\")
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