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How Ireland-New Zealand could come down to sudden death or kicking competition

Johnny Sexton is Ireland's all-time record points scorer
Johnny Sexton is Ireland's all-time record points scorer

Ireland's clash with New Zealand on Saturday could be decided by sudden death and a 'golden score’.

The outcome of the Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Paris could also be decided by a place-kicking competition but only if the teams cannot be separated after two lots of extra time.

Rugby World Cup tournament rules dictate that should the sides be level after 80 minutes, they will play a 20-minute period of extra time split into two halves of ten minutes.

If still level after that then there will be an additional period of up to ten minutes played, with the first team to score any points deemed the winner.

In the event that neither team scores in that period there will be a place-kicking competition, which will see five kickers from each team shoot at goal from three positions: in front of the posts and 15 metres either side of the posts.

Only players who are on the field of play when the sudden death extra-time is completed may be nominated as a kicker.

Similar to soccer, sudden death kicks come in if the teams are level after they have taken five shots each.

Players will have one minute from receiving the ball at the kicking area to take the shot before the referee deems the kick void.

Ireland have a better goal-kicking percentage rate than New Zealand, 86.7% to 75.9%, in the World Cup so far.

Johnny Sexton (14 from 17 attempts), Jack Crowley (four from five) and Ross Byrne (four from four) have kicked penalties or conversions for Andy Farrell's side, while Richie Mo'unga (10 from 15), Beauden Barrett (two from two) and Damian McKenzie (11 from 14) have scored off the tee for the All Blacks.

Richie Mo'unga lines up a kick

RUGBY WORLD CUP TIED KNOCK-OUT MATCHES CRITERIA

1. Extra time

Following an interval of 5 minutes, extra time of 10 minutes each way (with an interval of 5 minutes) shall be played in full (referred to in this Section as "Normal Extra Time"). For the avoidance of doubt, Teams must remain on the Field of Play. The Match referee will conduct a coin toss during the 5-minute interval to determine which Team will kick-off and the direction of play. Team B will call the toss, in line with Section 7.

The Team captain who wins the coin toss can either

  • Nominate to kick-off, therefore the other Team must choose the direction they will play
  • Nominate their preferred direction of play, therefore the other Team must kick-off

2. Sudden death

If the scores are tied at the conclusion of Extra Time, then following an interval of 5 minutes a further extra time of 10 minutes maximum shall be played. Teams swap ends and whichever Team kicked Extra Time also kicks off Sudden Death.

During this period the first Team to score any points shall be declared the winner.

3. Kicking competition

If after Sudden Death no winner can be declared, a kicking competition will be organised between the two Teams. The winner of that competition shall be declared the winner of the match.

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Follow a live blog of Ireland v New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday with kick-off 8pm. Listen to live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.

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