FIVE BIG QUESTIONS

1. Will rust doom the All Blacks?

Forget about head coach Steve Hansen sugar coating the cancellation of the All Blacks’ final pool game last week.

The truth is two weeks will have passed since the All Blacks played a match by the time referee Nigel Owens whistles open the quarterfinal at Tokyo Stadium.

And that training run against Namibia was preceded by a walk in the park against Canada, meaning it will be two days short of a month since their last serious test – their opening 23-13 win against the Springboks.

Fear not, was Hansen’s message after Typhoon Hagibis forced World Rugby to scrap their match against Six Nations chumps Italy last Saturday.

The All Blacks instead held an intense inter-squad training session, which apparently matched a test match in some aspects.

Fair enough. But you can’t go past match-fitness, particularly when lock Brodie Retallick has just 30 minutes under his belt since busting a shoulder against South Africa in late July.

2. Will Nigel Owens bury the Irish?

Didn’t the Irish kick up a stink when World Rugby announced that chatty Welshman Nigel Owens would be in charge of the clash? Some fans and pundits practically waved the white flag, suggesting there was little point going through with the match because Owens was bound to bend over backwards to ensure the All Blacks advanced.

They pointed to New Zealand’s record – 19 wins from 22 tests since 2007 – when Owens has whistle in hand, adding that three of the 19 wins went down against Ireland.

Time to get a grip. Heaven forbid, perhaps the All Blacks were simply the better team.

3. Is now the time to pine for Owen Franks?

It’s too soon for that. But if Ireland do a number on the All Blacks’ scrum, Hansen might be inclined to gander into the damp Tokyo night and wish he’d taken the 108-test tighthead to Japan.

The sight of Angus Ta’avao on the bench won’t scare the Irish in the slightest, and you can bet they’ll attempt to pound the All Blacks up front.

Forecast rain in Tokyo could well turn the match into a brutal slugfest, featuring ample stoppages for scrums, meaning the argument for Ta’avao’s added mobility is void.

If it eventuates, Hansen might be inclined to play Nepo Laulala deep into the second half.

4. Are George Bridge and Sevu Reece up to the highball barrage?

It’s coming and wings Bridge and Reece know it.

Irish halfback Conor Murray, arguably the best exponent of the box-kick in the game, is sure to repeatedly boom Garryowens into the night sky in a bid to test the All Blacks’ outside backs.

There is no chance left-wing Bridge, who continues to keep Rieko Ioane out of the team, will be surprised by the ploy.

The expected wet conditions will only make the onslaught more difficult, but it’s not like opposing teams haven’t tested Bridge and Reece out in the past. Both have mostly been up to the task.

5. Enough chat, who wins?

All Blacks by six, 26-20.