This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Former Irish centre Gordon D'Arcy believes Ireland must reach new heights to defeat the reigning Rugby World Cup champions, the All Blacks, on Saturday in Tokyo.
With a stunning upset defeat at the hands of host nation Japan in the pool stage, Ireland will meet the All Blacks in a quarter-final much earlier than coach Joe Schmidt would have calculated in his meticulous planning.
According to D'Arcy, who faced New Zealand six times while representing Ireland, the task of beating the All Blacks is enormous, and each defeat is a game for the ages.
"The task of beating New Zealand is enormous. Each defeat is a game for the ages," D'Arcy wrote in a column in the Irish Times on Wednesday.
He added that Ireland must frustrate the All Blacks to the point of error, every man has his breaking point, and if the whistle of referee Nigel Owens shrills on 80 minutes with big fat zeros beside the names of Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea when it comes to offloading and line breaks, then victory will belong to Ireland.
Published on October 16, 2019, D'Arcy's strategy for Ireland's victory includes emulating the 2016 team's performance in Chicago, where they finally broke their 111-year drought against New Zealand.
He emphasized the importance of Iain Henderson and James Ryan overshadowing the opposing second row partnerships, and Peter O'Mahony must also have a big game.
Most of all, though, they must execute the clinical playing style that took them to a Six Nations Grand Slam and a second win over the All Blacks in 2018.
