The world’s leading two teams go head-to-head at the Aviva Stadium where Six Nations Grand Slam champions Ireland look to make history with their first ever home win over New Zealand, the current World Cup and Rugby Championship title holders.
2018 GUINNESS SERIES MATCH: Saturday, November 17
IRELAND v NEW ZEALAND, Aviva Stadium, 7pm (live RTE Two/www.rte.ie/live (ROI only)/Channel 4/RTE Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/IRFU Live Blog)
Want to watch Ireland around the world? Here’s a list of the match broadcasters – please make sure you check local listings to see what time the game is shown and if it is screened live.
Ireland – RTE
Northern Ireland – Channel 4
UK – Channel 4
Argentina – ESPN SUR (covering all of South America)
New Zealand – Sky
USA – ESPN
Canada – DAZN
Australia – beIN Sports
France – beIN Sports
Germany, Austria, Switzerland – DAZN
Scandinavia – Viasat
Balkans – Arena
Japan – DAZN
Middle East & Africa – beIN Sports
South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa – SuperSport
Asia – Rugby Pass (online)
Caribbean – ESPN
Team News: There are four changes to the Ireland team to play New Zealand in Saturday’s GUINNESS Series clash. Rob Kearney, Garry Ringrose, Devin Toner and Dan Leavy – a late replacement for the injured Dan Leavy – all return to the starting line-up.
Kearney has recovered from a shoulder injury to slot in at full-back, making his first international appearance since June’s series win over Australia. Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale continue on the wings, reuniting the back-three from the third Test victory over the Wallabies.
Ringrose and Kieran Marmion have shaken off their respective hip and ankle injuries with Ringrose partnering Bundee Aki in midfield for the second time this month, while Marmion has beaten off stiff competition to team up again with Jonathan Sexton at half-back.
Rory Best captains Ireland for the 28th time, looking to make history by leading them to their first home success against the All Blacks. Thirteen members of this weekend’s squad played in the historic 40-29 win over New Zealand in Chicago in November 2016, with Ringrose and Marmion unused replacements that day.
Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong feature alongside Best in an unchanged front row, which is backed up by the 22-year-old James Ryan alongside Toner who gets the nod over Iain Henderson in the second row.
Van der Flier will don the number 7 jersey after Leavy, who was due to start in placed of the injured Sean O’Brien, failed to train on Thursday or Friday due to ‘general tightness’. The Wicklow man combines with Munster duo Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander in the back row. Number 8 Stander was one of Ireland’s five try scorers in Chicago two years ago.
Head coach Joe Schmidt has a strong replacements bench at his disposal this weekend, which includes Henderson and Jordan Larmour, two of the starters from the Pumas game, as well as Ulster’s Jordi Murphy who played in both of the 2016 matches against Steve Hansen’s men.
Commenting on the team selection, Schmidt said: “There were some tough decisions. There’s some very good players who we feel we’ve left out. There’s some players who played well in the first two games and unfortunately don’t get an opportunity, but you can only name 23 players.
“We felt right from that first game Rhys Ruddock led from the front. There were good performances from the likes of Jack Conan, Will Addison stepping in at the last minute last week. When we did name the team for today’s training, I think everyone felt they were in with a chance. So, there’s some disappointed players but they will be 100% behind the team that was selected.
“We had a few guys who needed to get through a couple of trainings. It’s never ideal but even at the end of training we were still making some decisions for Saturday. So there were a couple of decisions that we made post-training just to make sure that guys go through fully and the medics were satisfied that they were fully fit.”
He added: “We weren’t that far away in that Test (at home to New Zealand two years ago). 14-9 with 15 minutes to go, that’s a one-score game when Malakai Fekitoa scored the try that gave them the breach, I suppose, that was a little bit too far to cross.
“Even then we got quite close to their line, Seanie (O’Brien) almost went over, Rob Kearney was dragged down five metres short, so we weren’t too far away. Along those lines, we’ve just got to be prepared for what they’ll bring. I think they’ve got a top side out.
“We know that they’ll come after us in some areas because they did last time. They came at us off kick-off, they certainly, based on what they did to England last week, will come after our lineout, and they go after most scrums, but that’s been an area of strength for us, so we’ll keep trying to make sure that that stays rock solid for us. Apart from that, when the game’s up and running it’s likely to be fairly manic.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has made one enforced change to the team that edged out England. Ryan Crotty, who started at inside centre in the sides’ Chicago clash in November 2016, replaces the injured Sonny Bill Williams.
Crotty pairs up with his Crusaders team-mate Jack Goodhue, with Anton Lienert-Brown added to the bench. New Zealand won 21-9 when they last visited Dublin two years ago, and there are only eight starters retained from that game, including Ben Smith which switches from full-back to the right wing.
The others are Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Liam Squire and captain Kieran Read. Full-back Damian McKenzie, who was their only try scorer in that hard-fought win over England, Goodhue, Rieko Ioane and loosehead prop Karl Tu’inukuafe will all be playing against Ireland for the first time at Test level.
It will be Aaron Smith’s 82nd appearance this weekend as he overtakes Justin Marshall as the All Blacks’ most-capped half-back. Retallick and Whitelock will also set a new record for a New Zealand starting lock partnership, starting their 50th Test match together.
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster), Jordi Murphy (Ulster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster), Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
NEW ZEALAND: Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs); Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders), Jack Goodhue (Northland/Crusaders), Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders), Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues); Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes), Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders); Karl Tu’inukuafe (North Harbour/Chiefs), Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders), Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders), Brodie Retallick (Hawke’s Bay/Chiefs), Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders), Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders), Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes), Kieran Read (Counties Manukau/Crusaders) (capt).
Replacements: Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Auckland/Blues), Nepo Laulala (North Harbour/Chiefs), Scott Barrett (Taranaki/Crusaders), Matt Todd (Panasonic Wild Knights), TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes), Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury/Crusaders), Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Television Match Official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 2/1; Draw: 20/1; New Zealand to win: 2/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Rory Best (Ireland) – “New Zealand are renowned for the style of rugby they play – one to 15 they can all play and put people into space and through holes. But probably the area of their game that doesn’t get as much credit is their physicality.
“They are incredibly physical in the tackle area and the carry and at the breakdown. So you know that if you don’t match that, with the talent they’ve got across the pitch that it’s going to be tough. So you’ve got to gear yourself up for that. Against New Zealand, you’ve got to gear yourself up for a physical battle because it’s what they bring.
“(The late change in personnel) is something we’ve had to deal with last week, we also dealt with it a couple of years ago with Jamie Heaslip in the Six Nations. Dan (Leavy) came onto the bench that day and came into the game quite early.
“It’s something that Josh (van der Flier) trained in quite a bit of yesterday, they all slot in the back rows. And especially someone like Josh, you know he’s going to have been diligent regardless of where he’s been sat in the squad.
“He will know his drills inside and out, so from our point of view it doesn’t change things massively because you’re replacing a quality player with two more quality players, one to start and one to come onto the bench. Josh, since he’s come back from his injury this season, has been unbelievably physical. Some of the tackles he’s been making around the fringes for Leinster have been staggering.
“He’s got an unbelievable engine, and I think him and Dan are quite similar in many ways in terms of how good they are over the ball and how physical they are. Two years ago, Josh came on quite early here as well and had a great game and made a couple of good line breaks. Josh will bring his game, and he will fit in seamlessly and accordingly.”
Kieran Read (New Zealand) – “We’re going to need the best performance of our season, I think, the way the Irish have been playing. I know we’ve prepared as well as we can physically, and the guys are looking forward to it, mate. We’re going to go out there and give it our all.
“Ireland are a very structured side. In terms of how they hold onto the ball, they’re the best probably of the tier one nations in the world. They also have the ability to defend pretty strongly as well. They’re a pretty good side.
“We’ve got to find our opportunities. We can’t be too hungry to look for those opportunities, just be patient. Discipline is going to be crucial and then when we get the chances to get the ball back, we do that.
“It’s an exciting time. Any game you come across to this part of the world, and these teams are playing pretty well, the Irish are undoubtedly the best side up here at the moment and for us to challenge ourselves in their conditions, it’s an exciting time.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v New Zealand
In Pics: Ireland Training Ahead Of New Zealand Clash
Irish Rugby TV: Rory Best – Ireland v New Zealand Captain’s Run Preview
Van Der Flier To Start As Leavy Ruled Out
Irish Rugby TV: Jonathan Sexton On Ireland’s Showdown With New Zealand
Irish Rugby TV: ‘It’s An Important Game And An Important Year’ – Farrell
Recent Meetings –
2013: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 22 New Zealand 24, Aviva Stadium
2016: Autumn Test: Ireland 40 New Zealand 29, Soldier Field, Chicago; GUINNESS Series: Ireland 9 New Zealand 21, Aviva Stadium
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #IREvNZL, #TeamOfUs and #ShouldertoShoulder on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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