All Blacks coach Steve Hansen believes this weekend's eagerly anticipated showdown between New Zealand and Ireland in Dublin will lead to a simple outcome, with the winning side able to claim bragging rights as the best team in world rugby.
The hype surrounding the clash between Hansen's World Cup winners and Joe Schmidt's Six Nations champions has been growing steadily for the past 12 months as the consistent Irish have risen to number two in the global rankings.
The rivalry between the sides has intensified in recent years with Schmidt's side no longer considered plucky underdogs as he has helped shape them into a northern hemisphere powerhouse in the last half a decade.
The All Blacks needed a converted try in injury time to claim a 24‑22 triumph in Dublin five years ago, before Ireland ended a 111‑year losing streak to New Zealand in 2016 when they ran in five tries to secure a remarkable 40‑29 win in Chicago.
That triumph ended an 18‑match winning streak for the All Blacks, who wasted little time gaining revenge when the Kieran Read‑led side won a rematch 21‑9 two weeks later in Dublin.
[Source: Reuters/BBC]
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