There are three changes from the starting line-up Joe Schmidt sent out against Samoa last Saturday for Ireland’s final Pool A game in Fukuoka.

That New Zealand have stated they will target Johnny Sexton is hardly a galloping shock. Johnny’s had that for a lot of his career, but it remains fundamentally important to Ireland’s chances today that he is on the pitch for 60-65 minutes.

Ireland’s tenacity versus New Zealand’s ruthlessness.

All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga has spoken about his debt of gratitude to former Crusaders coach Ronan O’Gara while admitting he barely understood a word the Corkman told him.

Joe Schmidt admits Ireland’s maiden two victories over New Zealand have denied his side the element of surprise in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.

This becomes a delicate balancing act now. There are some very smart people in the Irish backroom team with Joe Schmidt, but this is mostly about the Irish players and the World Cup. You can see the confidence is skin deep at the moment, it’s not in their bones.

James Lowe blows out his cheeks, squeezes his hands into fists and takes a long, smiling pause.

For weeks on end, a veritable posse of law enforcers queued up to hammer the warning home, that dangerous tackles meant instant dismissal.

Today’s meeting between New Zealand and South Africa will be their 99th.

New Zealand bounced back from their record Test defeat to thrash Australia 36-0 in Auckland.

South Africa produced late drama to hold New Zealand to a 16-16 draw in their Rugby Championship clash at Wellington.

Kieran Read precariously sat upon his team-mates’ shoulders holding the Super Rugby trophy aloft on Saturday, satisfied he had ended his career with the Canterbury Crusaders with one final title.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen named four uncapped players in an extended 39-man squad for the Rugby Championship as he looks to finalise his World Cup selections over the next six weeks.

World Cup winner Dan Carter would not be out of place in the All Blacks squad at the global showpiece in Japan later this year if selectors sent him an SOS to fill the gap left by the injured Damian McKenzie, former coach Graham Henry has said.

Everything is possible. That’s all I said. The perfect sit-on-the-fence answer. Doing pitchside media Monday, somebody asked a ‘Would you consider…’ question about the All Blacks in the future.

Dan Leavy has been ruled out of Ireland's November test against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

It mightn’t be the Six Nations but in a World Cup year, the autumn series of Tests is what GAA fans feel at the start of the national leagues every spring, writes Ronan O'Gara

Watching New Zealand and South Africa there was that very rare feeling - it lasted only a few minutes, like viewing the aurora borealis, where you are mouthing quietly to yourself: this is unbelievable, writes Ronan O’Gara.