All Blacks shine at Eden Park while Fiji, Samoa and Tonga suffer on the road

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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."