How are your nerves?
Ireland and New Zealand clash in Paris on Saturday night in what is being billed as the country's most important Test match ever.
Having never been beyond the quarter-final stage at the World Cup, Ireland must break new ground against the three-time Webb Ellis champions.
Here’s all you need to know about the blockbuster at Stade de France.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 with Michael Corcoran and Donal Lenihan.
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on RTE.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App followed by report, reaction and player ratings.
TV
The match is live on Virgin Media TV.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy with temperature of around 9C. A gentle wind of around 7kph is expected.
While it was never a foregone conclusion, this quarter-final match-up was always a strong possibility.
In the end it came to pass with Ireland beating South Africa 13-8 in Pool B and topping that group, and New Zealand finishing second in Pool A after an opening-round 27-13 loss to France.
Ian Foster’s men went on to record huge victories against Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, while Ireland had little to worry about in routine wins over Romania, Tonga and Scotland.
It’s all led to what promises to be a thrilling, high-calibre showdown between the world ranked number one side and the 1987, 2011 and 2015 winners New Zealand, ranked fourth.
It will be the 37th ever meeting of the teams with Ireland losing 30, drawing one and winning five since their first encounter in 1905.
It’s a stark statistic but of more relevance is that Ireland’s five wins have come in their last eight meetings, staring with the famous 40-29 victory in Chicago in 2018.
Andy Farrell’s side also claimed a series win (below) in the Land of the Long White Cloud just last year.
The All Blacks’ shield of invincibility is a thing of the past.
On the flip side, New Zealand have twice gotten the better of Ireland at World Cups.
Jonah Lomu inspired the side to a handsome pool success in 1995, while Ireland suffered their heaviest every tournament defeat in the last-eight meeting in Tokyo four years ago, going down 46-14 as the Joe Schmidt era came to an end.
Only once in their World Cup history have New Zealand fallen at this fence: the infamous 2007 loss to France in Cardiff.
In team news, Ireland are without the services of lock James Ryan, who started on the bench against Scotland, but has been ruled out with a wrist injury.
There was some concern about Mack Hansen’s calf injury (below) but he came through Friday’s captain’s run and Farrell goes with an unchanged side to the one that swatted away a weak Scottish challenge last weekend, 36-14.
Lock Joe McCarthy and fit-again Jimmy O’Brien are on the bench instead of Ryan and Stuart McCloskey.
There has, however, been disruption in the New Zealand camp with wing Mark Telea, on the 12th anniversary of Corey Jane and Israel Dagg's famous drinking session, breaking team protocols and being ruled out of selection consideration.
He may have scored two tries in the defeat to Les Bleus but finds himself on the outside. Leicester Fainga’anuku comes in in his place.
All three Barrett brothers start, while prop Tyrel Lomax won his fitness battle and Damian McKenzie has earned a place on the bench.
If required, after two lots of extra-time, including a period of up to 10 minutes where a 'golden score’ can decide the game, it may come down to place-kicking.
In that case each team nominates five kickers, all of whom must be on the field when the final, final, final whistle goes.
We hardly be able to cope if it goes that far.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Jonathan Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Tadgh Beirne, Iain Henderson; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jimmy O'Brien.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga'anuku; Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (capt), Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
OFFICIALS
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
AR1: Matthew Carley (England)
AR2: Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
WHAT THEY SAID
Andy Farrell (Ireland head coach): "It's about the here and now. What’s gone on in the past is irrelevant. We’re just trying to get better as a team, and so are they, and roll on in the competition. What will be at forefront is a mutual respect for where both teams are sitting right now. The competition is where it should be for a quarter-final."
Ian Foster (New Zealand head coach): "I don't think the past matters. I think you learn a lot from the past but you learn it at the time and it becomes part of who you are and becomes part of you as a team. This team we have prepared well with this in mind."
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
New Zealand 22-32 Ireland - Sky Stadium, Wellington (16 July 2022) Summer Series
New Zealand 12-23 Ireland - Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (9 July 2022) Summer Series
New Zealand 42-19 Ireland - Eden Park, Auckland (2 July 2022) Summer Series
Ireland 29-20 New Zealand - Aviva Stadium (13 November 2021) Autumn International
New Zealand 46-14 Ireland - Tokyo Stadium (19 October 2019) World Cup
The first of the quarter-finals takes place on Saturday afternoon with Wales taking on Argentina in Marseille at 4pm.
England face Fiji at 4pm on Sunday afternoon at the same venue, while hosts France are back in the Stade de France to welcome South Africa at 8pm.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch England v Fiji and France v South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow live blogs on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app.
