The China Mail - Farrell sticks with winning formula for 'the big boy stuff'

The 48-year-old Englishman said his players were now used to these big weeks after he kept faith with the same starting XV as the one that hammered Scotland 36-14 last Saturday.

His team are not only seeking an 18th successive Test victory but if successful would become the first Ireland side to reach the semi-finals of the sport's quadrennial showpiece.

"It's the business end of the competition and when you get to those points within a competition then you draw hopefully on good experiences that you've had," said Farrell.

"The experiences that we've put ourselves under in the last three or four years were for moments like this.

"We've got a very experienced group that's been through a lot and learning to deal with weeks like last week and this week is something that we've got pretty good at, so we draw on those experiences."

Farrell was able to pick the same team as both wings, Mack Hansen and James Lowe, have recovered from calf and eye injuries respectively -- though Jimmy O'Brien provides cover for either on the bench.

Hansen was the biggest concern of the two wingers.

Having gone off for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) in the first half against the Scots he returned but almost immediately left for good having felt a twinge in his calf.

"He is fully fit to go," said Farrell of Hansen.

"He obviously had a few things to do at the beginning of the week but he's coming good and everyone's very confident that he's going to be fine for the game, no problem."

O'Brien -- who was unavailable for the first two pool matches due to an injury he suffered in the last warm-up match against Samoa -- comes in for Stuart McCloskey on the replacements bench.

The 26-year-old can cover wing whereas Ulsterman McCloskey is a specialist centre.

"There's one thing about Jimmy O'Brien, he is unbelievably smart, nice and cool and calm and collected, unbelievably fit and unbelievably good at fitting in in numerous different positions," said Farrell.

"With the disruption we had at the start of the week it made more sense for us to go with that option."

O'Brien is one of two changes on the replacements bench, with Joe McCarthy coming in for fellow lock James Ryan, who has a wrist injury but the team is hopeful he will be able to return if they reach the semi-finals.

For Ireland's talismanic captain Johnny Sexton, defeat would usher him into retirement, but reflecting on his stellar career was the last thing on the 38-year-old fly-half's mind.

"I haven't thought about my career, to be honest, I'll think about it more when I finish," Sexton said.

"It's all geared up towards a massive game on Saturday, a massive challenge for this team, the biggest we've faced, and we're looking forward to it.

The All Blacks whipped Ireland 46-14 at the same stage in Japan in the 2019 World Cup but Ireland inflicted a historic series defeat on them in New Zealand last year.

Only six of the starting XV began the 2019 quarter-final defeat to New Zealand; Garry Ringrose, captain Johnny Sexton, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony and world player of the year Josh van der Flier.

Unlike Ireland, the New Zealanders have lost a match at this World Cup -- to hosts France in the opening game.

South Africa also lost a game in 2019, also to New Zealand, before going on to lift the Webb Ellis trophy.

The All Blacks are due to name their team on Thursday.

Team (15-1)

Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Peter O'Mahony; Iain Henderson, Tadhg Beirne; Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jimmy O'Brien

Coach: Andy Farrell (ENG)

L.Kwan--ThChM