O'Leary: Southern hemisphere still class above

Ireland scrum-half Tomás O’Leary admits southern hemisphere heavyweights New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are still leading the way in international rugby – but insists the European sides are starting to close the gap.

Ireland, RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam champions in 2009, are currently ranked fifth in the world behind the All Blacks, Springboks, Wallabies and current Six Nations champions France, and take on New Zealand in a one-off Test in New Plymouth on Saturday.