The lopsided nature of the draw at this year's Rugby World Cup means that we are likely to get some of the most exciting quarter-finals at the event in quite some time next weekend.
With the pool containing France and New Zealand set to face face off against the group featuring South Africa, Ireland, and Scotland at that stage, there will be shortage of entertainment on show.
As things stand, a win for Ireland over Scotland this evening would set up a showdown with the All Blacks. While facing that opposition in the World Cup is no easy task, the Irish do have a decent recent track record against Ian Foster's side. That includes a historic test series in the country in 2022.
All Blacks Star starting Ireland mind game at Rugby World Cup
That series loss was a huge blow to New Zealand, being viewed as one of the most embarrassing defeats in the team's history. They have recovered well since then and would certainly represent a huge challenge for Andy Farrell's side should they meet in the quarter-finals.
Speaking after their win over Namibia on Thursday, All Blacks star Beauden Barrett said his teammates are keen to get revenge over Ireland at the Rugby World Cup.
We learnt a lot during that series, it was a challenging time, some of the most challenging times we've faced as an All Black team, and personally, losing the series in our back yard.
What we know is the beast that Ireland are and if you allow them to dictate up front and play the way they want to, they’re a tough team to stop.
So, if it’s Ireland in the quarter-finals, it’s going to be great because there are a lot of us who are pretty keen to get one up on them and still we’re hurting from what happened last year.
Should those two teams meet in the Rugby World Cup, it would be a massive occasion for the sport.
Apart from a handful of fixtures, this tournament has been relatively uneventful up to this point. You get the sense that will quickly change once we reach the knockout stages.
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