How they line-up
“When you’re that age you don’t know any better. Joe (Schmidt) talked about how much the game has changed — then you kind of just turned up and thought you were a good player and that would be enough on the day. Now it’s changed a lot. I think the preparation is the big thing which has changed for me. And as a team, that has been our big thing, that’s what’s changed.
“That’s why we’ve been able to, by and large, achieve consistency over the last number of years. Because we understand what it takes to perform at the top level and how small those margins are.
“Whenever you don’t get it quite right, ultimately, against the best teams you don’t win.”
In what is now a game of wafer-thin margins at the very top, New Zealand should certainly be the fresher of the sides having seen their final pool game against Italy cancelled due to last week’s typhoon.
Best, though, does not believe his side are at a disadvantage and cites the increased competition for places as a driving factor behind their readiness to do battle once again with the back-to-back World champions.
“It’s a short week, so you put a lot of pressure on players to do a bit more work away from
Teams for World Cup quarter-final between Ireland and New Zealand in Tokyo (Saturday 11.45am) Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); K Earls (Munster), G Ringrose, R Henshaw (both Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster, capt), T Furlong (Leinster); I Henderson (Ulster), James Ryan (Leinster); P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster).
Replacements: N Scannell, D Kilcoyne (both Munster), A Porter (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), R Ruddock, L McGrath (both Leinster), J Carbery (Munster), J Larmour (Leinster).
New Zealand: B Barrett; S Reece, J Goodhue, A Lienert-Brown, G Bridge; R Mo’unga, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, N Laulala; B Retallick, S Whitelock; A Savea, S Cane, K Read (capt). Replacements: D Coles, O Tuungafasi, A Ta’avao, S Barrett, M Todd, TJ Perenara, SB Williams, J Barrett.
the pitch,” he said.
“It’s hard to judge where that is until you play. I think we’re in a reasonably good spot. We’ll get the run-out (at captain’s run) and it’ll be a good gauge of where we are — look, ultimately it’s all about Saturday.
“I don’t feel at the minute that we’re having to play catchup — the feeling is that boys have put in a good bit of work.
“It’s all about which team can turn up and implement their game plan best and deal with the pressure of quarter-final rugby, of knockout rugby.
“It’s a very competitive bunch, and that probably starts with team selection. Everyone pushes hard to be in that squad, it’s no longer that you kind of know what the 15 is going to be and the rest are there to make up the numbers. Every one of those 33 players believes they’re good enough to start and they show it in training. You get people driving each other on.
“Whenever you get international players that are now used to winning things, at international level, at club level, it’s a good mix.”
Not one he’s ready to leave behind just yet either.