Jamison Gibson-Park might be steering the ship for Ireland these days, but his roots are firmly planted in the Hauraki Gulf. Ahead of a massive clash at Eden Park, the star halfback admits that heading to Auckland brings his mind straight back to Great Barrier Island. The test-seasoned 34-year-old is gearing up for a fiercely competitive showdown against the All Blacks this Saturday.
When asked if he felt like he was home after a decade in Ireland, Gibson-Park discussed his deep local ties at a press conference in Auckland. “It’s a bit of a strange one,” he said. “I suppose all my family is out on Great Barrier Island, so there’s a bit of a sense of home out there for sure.”
Yet, that local connection now shares space with the life the former Blues player has established overseas. “I suppose on the other hand, I’ve been in Ireland for ten years, pretty well settled with children being born over there and everything,” he added. “So there’s definitely a sense of home in both places.”
Facing the haka is a unique experience that brings his thoughts back to his days in New Zealand. “It’s always one I look forward to,” he said. “I suppose the team’s moved on a little bit and there’s not as many lads that I would have played with back in the day.”
“There’s still a few hanging around, so there’s always that sense of a brotherly rivalry is how I see it,” Gibson-Park noted. “But they’re awesome to be a part of. There’s the build-up, the anthems and the haka, and you can’t help but think of family and all that kind of thing.”
Getting a win at Eden Park is a daunting prospect, especially given the history of the venue. “Not just any team gets to run out on Eden Park,” he said. “We obviously had a crack at it in ‘22 and we got shown up pretty well that day. So it’s pretty cool to get another crack at it.”
The All Blacks hold a formidable record in Auckland, and the Irish squad knows exactly what they are walking into. “But we’re under no illusions as to how tough it’s going to be,” Gibson-Park added. “They have the streak for a reason, it’s a very tough place to win. So we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Gibson-Park acknowledges that he is a very different player compared to the 24-year-old who left New Zealand shores. “Well, I speak to my mindset, first of all,” he said. “Whether it was to do with my upbringing or what, I was just kind of pretty lackadaisical about things.”
“I didn’t start to take the game seriously until I was probably into my late 20s, when I really kind of knuckled down and that changed a lot for me, so that’s probably the main thing,” he explained. Early career setbacks in New Zealand helped fuel his eventual rise in Ireland. “I think it definitely did spur me on a little bit,” he said.
This weekend, he will likely face off against Cam Roigard, one of the most exciting young halfbacks in the sport. “He’s a pretty special player, isn’t he?” Gibson-Park said. “He’s kind of really burst onto the scene in the last couple of years and he’s played some outstanding footy.”
“But it’s always great to come up against lads who are at the top of their game, which is what we’ll face this weekend,” he added. He is also wary of the broader threat posed by Dave Rennie’s All Blacks squad. “They’re playing some good footy, aren’t they?” said Gibson-Park. “Fairly expansive and they’re pretty happy to have a crack from deep.”
Ireland has lost their last three encounters with New Zealand, something the halfback puts down to facing a top-tier opponent. “There’s a few different things going on over that kind of period,” he said. “You speak about the World Cup, which is the biggest game there is, and it’s fine margins. But we played a pretty good New Zealand team that day [in Paris].”
“And then I suppose they came over to us two Novembers ago, and same again, start of a campaign for us and we struggled to get going,” he reflected. “Same again last year in November in Chicago.”
“There’s loads of excuses there for us. We hadn’t played a lot of footy, all that kind of stuff,” he admitted. “But the reality is we’ve come up against a better team, and they’re looking pretty strong again, so it’s going to be a massive challenge.”
When asked if the Irish side will be prepared to break the streak this Saturday, his response was simple. “Yeah, I’d like to think so,” he said.
For Barrier supporters watching their local star take on the ultimate test might bring a struggle of mixed loyalties. But with one of their own steering the Irish ship, there is at least the silver lining of winning either way.
