The upcoming quarter-final match between Ireland and New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup 2023 is highly anticipated. The match will take place at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, 14 October, with a kick-off time of 20:00 BST.

Ireland, currently ranked number one in the world, will face off against New Zealand, a country that has spent more time at the top of the world rankings than any other. The possibility of this match has been looming since the Rugby World Cup draw, and now fans will finally get to witness this heavyweight encounter.

New Zealand’s path to the quarter-finals has seen them suffer a 27-13 defeat to France, the hosts and eventual pool winners, in the opening match of the tournament. However, they have since bounced back with dominant victories over Namibia, Italy, and Uruguay, scoring 240 points and conceding only 20. This strong performance secured them a near-certain runners-up spot in Pool A.

Ireland’s journey through the pool stage was more challenging, as they had to defeat Scotland, the world’s fifth-best team, in their final match to secure the top spot in their group. They also had a thrilling victory over South Africa earlier in the tournament. Both of these impressive wins took place at the Stade de France, the same venue for the quarter-final match, and Irish fans will be looking forward to returning to the stadium.

While Ireland is currently on a 17-match winning streak, including a Grand Slam success earlier this year, they have never won a knockout match at the Rugby World Cup. In fact, they have lost all seven of the quarter-finals they have played in. New Zealand, on the other hand, has a strong track record in the tournament and outclassed Ireland in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup, winning 46-14.

In terms of team news, Ireland’s wingers Mack Hansen and James Lowe, who both suffered injuries during their win over Scotland, are fit to start in an unchanged starting lineup. However, lock James Ryan will miss the match due to a hand injury. New Zealand has made six changes to their starting team from their previous match against Uruguay.

Overall, this quarter-final match promises to be an exciting and closely contested encounter between two top-ranked teams. The outcome will determine which team progresses to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2023.