Ireland & New Zealand in heavyweight last-eight tie

Andy Farrell's Ireland take on Ian Foster's New Zealand in Paris on Saturday

Venue: Stade de France, Paris Date: Saturday, 14 October Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website

The nature of the Rugby World Cup draw has meant that an Ireland-New Zealand quarter-final has long been a strong possibility, and on Saturday the much-anticipated heavyweight encounter will take place.

It always looked likely that New Zealand would finish second in Pool A after their 27-13 defeat by hosts, and eventual pool winners, France on the opening night of the tournament five weeks ago.

Since then, head coach Ian Foster's side have hammered Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, running up 240 points and conceding just 20, on their way to what was a near-certain runners-up spot after the loss to the French.

Ireland's pool experience had significantly more jeopardy to it, with Farrell's men still having to see off the world's fifth-best team in Scotland in their final match to ensure they topped the group, a week after edging past South Africa in a titanic tussle on matchday three.

Both of those hugely impressive victories came at the Stade de France, the venue for Saturday night's last-eight meeting, and the swathes of Irish fans that have lit up this World Cup with their noise and colour will no doubt be looking forward to a return trip.

The All Blacks, meanwhile, have only tasted defeat at the stadium so far in the tournament - it was where they lost to the hosts - so will be hoping to change that narrative.

If they are to do so, they will have to end Ireland's long winning run, which stretched to 17 Test matches with that clinical dismantling of the Scots and which includes a Grand Slam success earlier this year. Worth noting that that run began with two series-clinching away victories over the Kiwis last year.

Indeed, it was those wins, Ireland's first on New Zealand soil - they only beat the All Blacks for the first time ever in 2016 - that saw Farrell's side move to the world rankings summit, a position they have held ever since.

However, while those most recent results went against the All Blacks, one statistic that works in their favour is that Ireland have never won a knockout match at the Rugby World Cup, having lost all seven of the quarter-finals they have played in.

And, of course, they very much held the upper hand when the sides met at the same stage of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, when New Zealand totally outclassed Ireland on their way to a 46-14 victory.

Team news

'We worked on our mental game for the last four years' - Sexton

Amid the euphoria of that impressive win over Scotland which confirmed Ireland as pool winners, there were a few injury concerns for Farrell to sweat over.

The good news for Ireland is that wingers Mack Hansen and James Lowe, who both had to go off during last week's 36-14 win over the Scots, are fit to take their places in a starting line-up that is unchanged.

Hansen was forced to miss some training this week with a calf problem but is fit start while Lowe has recovered from an eye injury. Lock James Ryan misses out with a hand injury, however, meaning Ulster captain Iain Henderson starts again in the second row.

There are two changes on the Ireland bench with Joe McCarthy and Jimmy O'Brien called in, with experienced backs Robbie Henshaw and Keith Earls not fit enough for selection.

New Zealand's starting team shows six changes from the one that began the 73-0 drubbing of Uruguay.

Head coach Ian Foster recalled Ethan de Groot, Ardie Savea, Aaron Smith, Rieko Ioane and the Barrett brothers, Scott and Beauden.

The latter two join sibling Jordie in the starting team to face the Irish.

Sam Cane captains the side and will be bidding to avoid becoming the first All Blacks captain to lose three Tests to the Irish.

View from the Ireland camp

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton: "I've had some great battles against New Zealand over the years. What you learn is that every game is as tough as the last no matter what the result is. That's what we're preparing for. We're preparing for the toughest game we've ever faced and we're trying to put ourselves in a frame of mind that we're going to be ready for it."

Sexton on Ireland's poor World Cup quarter-final record: "We've worked on our mental game for the past four years and put ourselves in different scenarios to prepare for this. Each quarter-final that we've haven't got through, or we haven't got through our pool, they've all been different and it's a different group [of players] again. Each of those groups lost once. It wasn't the same group losing quarter-finals year after year. If it was club rugby it would probably be a bigger hurdle. I don't think we've carrying much baggage. It's a one off game we're preparing for now."

View from the New Zealand camp

New Zealand scrum half Aaron Smith says Ireland are "the best team in the world"

New Zealand scrum-half Aaron Smith: "They're a great team, they're the best team in the world, they've earned that. But we're at a World Cup and it's all on the line. History's history, and history's going to get created on Saturday, and we'll see who comes out on top."

Smith on Ireland's series win over New Zealand last summer: "Last year matters in the sense of taking the learnings but I believe we're a totally different team to July last year. We got new coaches and, as a group, that series really galvanised us. I can't wait to see what happens."

Line-ups

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (capt), Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; Beirne, Henderson; O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Kelleher, Kilcoyne, Bealham, McCarthy, Conan, Murray, Crowley, O'Brien.

New Zealand: B Barrett; Jordan, Ioane, J Barrett, Fainga'anuku; Mo'unga, Smith; de Groot, Taylor, Lomax; Retallick, S Barrett; Frizell, Cane, Savea.

Replacements: Coles, Williams, Newell, Whitelock, Papali'i, Christie, McKenzie, Lienert-Brown.

Match officials

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Assistants: Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley (both England)

TMO: Tom Foley (England)

Match facts

Head-to-head

New Zealand won 27 and drew one of the first 28 meetings between the countriesIt took Ireland 111 years before recording their first win over New Zealand, in Chicago in 2016Ireland won the last two encounters between the sidesNew Zealand defeated Ireland comprehensively in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup

Ireland

Ireland are number one-ranked team in the worldIreland have won 17 matches in a row

New Zealand

New Zealand are ranked number four in the worldNew Zealand have won the World Cup three times