- Andy Farrell looks to guide Ireland into semi-final for first time
- The Six Nations champions face the All Blacks in a crucial quarter-final on Saturday.
- Mack Hansen and James Lowe overcome injuries to face New Zealand
Andy Farrell has told Ireland to be ready for the ‘big boy stuff’ and the start of the ‘business end’ of the World Cup after passing his star wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe fit to face the New Zealand.
The world number one team and current Six Nations champions will face the All Blacks in a crucial quarter-final on Saturday. Ireland have never progressed beyond the last eight stages.
Their hopes of reaching a world showpiece semi-final for the first time were boosted when head coach Farrell named Hansen and Lowe in his starting squad for the Paris clash. Hansen (calf) and Lowe (eye) have cleared injuries sustained against Scotland.
Hansen did not practice Tuesday and was not present at Wednesday’s session during the media opening period.
But Farrell insisted the maverick Australian-born fullback was ready to go.
Andy Farrell looks to guide Ireland to World Cup semi-finals for the first time
Mack Hansen and James Lowe recovered from injuries to face New Zealand on Saturday.
“That’s the important side – the business side of competing – and when you hit those points during a competition then you can hopefully get some good experiences out of it,” Farrell said.
“The experiences we had over the last three or four years were for times like this. We have a very experienced group who have been through a lot.
Ireland rose to the top of the World Rugby rankings under Farrell and beat New Zealand in a three-match southern hemisphere series last summer.
But their World Cup history – and the quality of their quarter-final opposition – means their successes under Farrell could all count for nothing in the French capital this weekend.
“We are preparing for the toughest game we have ever faced,” said Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, who will retire at the end of this World Cup despite playing the best rugby of his career at 38.
“Trying to win a World Cup is something you have to achieve. It’s not something you have to push for.
Ireland’s starting team for New Zealand is the same one that beat Scotland at the end of the group stages, but as expected linebacker James Ryan is not fit to be named on the bench.
Fullbacks Keith Earls and Robbie Henshaw are also out, but Farrell stressed all three would be fit for a semi-final if Ireland get that far.
New Zealand – of which former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is now a central figure – will name their squad on Thursday with prop Tyrel Lomax listed as fitness doubtful.