Ireland captain Dan Sheehan has urged his team-mates to "make our own history" against New Zealand at Eden Park.

The All Blacks are unbeaten at the stadium since 1994, going 52 consecutive Test matches without defeat at Eden Park since then.

Ireland, meanwhile, last won an away Test series against the All Blacks in 2022, with their wins coming in Dunedin and Wellington, after they started with a loss at the Auckland fortress.

New Zealand's last defeat at the venue came against South Africa – a 23-20 victory for the Springboks – but Sheehan is confident Ireland can cause some real problems when the sides go head-to-head on Saturday.

"It's a special record, but we're trying to get the best out of the group we've seen this year, and we think we have it in us," Sheehan said.

"The capabilities in the squad, if we get them out, it will be a great game, and hopefully we come out on top.

"They are an incredible outfit, especially at home, so any good performance on New Zealand soil is something to remember. We will be looking to recreate that.

"We've a new group here, and a lot of the lads weren't on that tour, so we've got to make our own history."

MD-1 at Eden Park. pic.twitter.com/2kx1rEbba6

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 17, 2026

Ireland sit top of the Northern Hemisphere table in the Nations Championship, having won both of their matches so far, against Australia and Japan.

However, after facing criticism for their performances in the last two matches, Sheehan is confident everything will come together against New Zealand, who have also won both of their Tests against France and Italy.

"Performances haven't been where we wanted, but we have a great opportunity to bring it all together for a big game," Sheehan added.

"Everyone is excited, and it's been in the calendar for a while, so a great opportunity to finish the season on a high.

"We saw improvements in all the campaigns we've had this year.

"We had a slow start and built nicely through it, so hopefully we get our best as New Zealand are playing good rugby and flying high in this stadium."