Moorby earns All Blacks start against Ireland after impressing on Test debut

Josh Moorby will start for the All Blacks against Ireland at Eden Park after head coach Dave Rennie rewarded the Hurricanes outside back’s impressive Test debut with an immediate promotion to the starting XV.

Moorby made his international bow at Hnry Stadium last Saturday, coming off the bench with more than 50 minutes played in New Zealand’s 47-17 victory over Italy after Leroy Carter suffered a shoulder injury. The performance was enough to convince Rennie’s coaching staff to move Caleb Clarke — who started the first Test of the year against France — to the impact role off the bench.

“Yeah, he was so impressive. I wouldn’t say surprised [with the performance against Italy]. I was really pleased for him,” Rennie told media in Auckland on Thursday.

The head coach was specific about what set Moorby apart. His defensive organisation, composure under the high ball, and relentless work rate on both sides of the park were all cited as qualities that earned him the nod ahead of the more experienced Clarke.

“He’s really good defensively, got a really good understanding of how we want to defend. He’s really good under the high ball. He’s got a massive work rate, and on both sides of the park. And we just felt that that performance deserved a start,” Rennie said.

Clarke’s qualities were not overlooked — Rennie made clear the Blues back retains a significant role. “Caleb is a big man, explosive, again, generally strong under the high ball, and so he’ll give us a lot of impact off the bench.”

Alongside the Moorby call, lock Tupou Vaa’i has been shifted to the back row for the Eden Park fixture, adding another dimension to New Zealand’s forward pack.

Rennie acknowledged the scale of the occasion, with Ireland arriving motivated for their final match of the season and New Zealand’s long-standing unbeaten record at Eden Park providing additional backdrop to the contest.