| Venue: Stade de France, Paris Date: Saturday, 14 October Kick-off: 20:00 BST |
| Protection: Hear dwell on BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Radio 5Live; dwell textual content commentary and report on the BBC Sport web site |
Eire hooker Ronan Kelleher admits a “do or die” Rugby World Cup quarter-final with New Zealand is the stuff of desires – however plans to deal with the largest recreation of his profession like another.
The Irish face the three-time champions on Saturday as they bid to make the final 4 for the primary time.
Andy Farrell’s males topped Pool B after beating Scotland to stretch their exceptional unbeaten run of 17 video games.
“You simply need to play the sport in entrance of you,” mentioned Kelleher, 25.
Eire have been trounced 46-14 by the formidable All Blacks on the similar stage 4 years in the past in Japan.
Match debutant Kelleher received the primary of his 25 worldwide caps instantly after his nation’s emphatic exit in Tokyo, having being chosen for the 2020 Six Nations marketing campaign by head coach Farrell.
“I suppose it’s one thing you’d dream about, on the massive stage, in all probability the largest recreation of my profession to date,” he mentioned of going through the Kiwis.
“As we have chatted all through the week with the lads, it’s important to take every recreation because it comes.
“For me personally it’s going to be handled like one other Check match, simply be sure that I get throughout all my element and preparation and, if chosen, be sure that I will do a job.
“We all know it is going to be a large problem, an enormous Check match however one we’re actually trying ahead to. It is clearly do or die.”
‘An enormous Check match’
Eire have received three of 4 conferences towards New Zealand in Farrell’s tenure, which started when he changed Joe Schmidt after the final World Cup.
Kelleher was a part of the workforce which defeated the All Blacks 29-20 in November 2021, earlier than lacking final summer time’s 2-1 tour success by harm.
General, the Six Nations champions have been victorious in 5 of the previous eight matches between the nations, together with a historic first win in Chicago seven years in the past beneath Schmidt.
Kelleher was nonetheless a schoolboy again then and instructed the run of outcomes has helped diminish the aura round three-time world champions All Blacks.
“Yeah, I suppose,” he added. “However clearly we all know how good a workforce they’re and notably how they play in massive tournaments.
“I am simply trying ahead to this weekend, we all know it is going to be a large problem, an enormous Check match, however one we’re actually trying ahead to.”
‘Proud of the place we’re’
Kelleher is probably going to offer back-up for Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan at Stade de France after performing that position in Saturday’s 36-14 success over Scotland, which noticed Eire beat holders South Africa to high spot of their pool.
His absence from final 12 months’s sequence in New Zealand got here amid a string of irritating harm setbacks which he now hopes are behind him.
“It is nice to be again on the market,” added Kelleher. “I have been lucky sufficient to get a while in every of the video games to date, so I have been completely delighted with that.
“So far as contributing, it has been completely nice. It is about holding that momentum going ahead and we’re proud of the place we’re in the mean time.”