Fearless Irish ready for All Blacks

Ireland captain Rory Best says his team will not fear New Zealand as they chase an elusive first ever victory over the world champions in Chicago Saturday.

The veteran hooker, who earns his 98th cap at Soldier Field, said the Irish would take a positive mindset into their latest attempt to end a 111-year losing streak.

"We've got to respect them but we can't go out and fear them," Best told a press conference. 

"We've got to go out and have our gameplan, stick to it rigidly and ultimately beat the All Blacks."

New Zealand, who clinched back-to-back World Cup crowns in 2015, arrive in Chicago on the back of a record winning streak.

The New Zealanders have compiled 18 consecutive victories and are favorites to record a 19th against Ireland, who have never beaten the Kiwis in 28 meetings since 1905.

If Ireland are to stand any chance of an upset, Best believes his men will have to play a near-flawless game.

"From what I've seen over the Rugby Championship you've got to minimise the amount of unforced errors you have," Best said. 

"They're going to create chances. You can't then gift them chances on top of that."

Former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick recently described the current All Blacks team as the greatest ever, an assessment that Best was reluctant to contradict.

"It's kind hard when you're comparing back through generations. But there's no doubt that this All Black team is an extremely talented team that know how to win games of rugby, and know how to win well. 

"And if Sean Fitzpatrick is saying they're the best team then they would have to be close to it."

- 'Strange' failure -

Best was a member of the Ireland starting line-up on the last occasion the two teams met, in Dublin in 2013, when the host nation suffered a 24-22 defeat with the final kick of the match. 

Best was forced out of that contest after 15 minutes with a broken arm. At 34, Best knows that time is running out if he is to be part of a victorious Ireland team against New Zealand.

The fact Ireland have been unable to break their All Blacks hoodoo vexes him.

"Having played in a lot of very good Irish teams it seems strange that Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks," he said. 

"We've come close a few times. We see ourselves as a top tier nation and we've shown it. It's almost like we've shown it against everyone except the All Blacks.

"That side of things is disappointing."

Nevertheless, Best said Ireland are determined not to let the millstone of history weigh heavily.

"History is history. We can't affect that," Best said. 

"All that we can affect is what happens on Saturday. It's disappointing that we've never beaten New Zealand but we have a chance now to change that."

For Best though, the All Blacks retain an aura which he first encountered as a boy when watching the New Zealanders on their 1989 end-of-season tour, when they won all 14 matches. 

That included the famous Test against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, when Irish skipper Willie Anderson marched his team into the middle of the All Blacks' pre-match Haka.

"It always was special when the All Blacks came to town," Best said. 

"I remember the Willie Anderson one where they charged the Haka. It was all about blood and thunder for as long as they could hold out."

The advances of the professional era have leveled the playing field since then, Best said. 

"Physically we're more than able to do it," he said. "It's just mentally if we can stay in the game."

Source: AFP