How historic series sets up Ireland's quarterfinal with All Blacks

Looking to make the semi-finals for the first time at a Rugby World Cup, Ireland will need to right the wrongs from four years ago when they come up against the All Blacks in Paris this weekend.

Ireland have never made it past the quarter-finals at the sports showpiece event. Time and time again, Ireland have fallen short of expectations, belief and glory.

New Zealand ended Ireland’s quest for a maiden semi-final berth at the last World Cup in Japan as the All Blacks ran away with a commanding 46-14 victory in Tokyo.

The hopes and dreams of the Irish were dashed on an unforgettably disastrous night. Ireland were the world’s top-ranked side going into the event, just as they were this time around in France.

World No. 1 Ireland eased past Six Nations rivals Scotland 36-14 at Stade de France on Saturday to book their place in the next stage, but the All Blacks are waiting and they’ll be hungry for their own revenge.

Ireland beat the All Blacks for the first time ever on New Zealand soil last year, and backed that up with another victory a week later to secure a historic series triumph in Aotearoa.

"We went to New Zealand and Andy told us he put us under the most pressure he could find. To go on a three-Test tour but also do the midweek games, it was to test us and to make us learn,” captain Johnny Sexton said after Ireland’s 22-point win over Scotland.

"We learned so many lessons on that tour to take with us for the Six Nations, to win a Grand Slam. To put us in this situation again, to have to play them again.

“They have said it's the one they want, they are hurting and they want to put it right. That is the biggest challenge in rugby, to beat them when they are in that frame of mind. Two teams will both be under pressure and it will be who copes with that the best."

But there’s just something different about this Ireland side – you can feel it in the streets of France. Spurred on by thousands of fans who have been singing Zombie as loud as humanly possible, Ireland are playing like world beaters.

Ireland started their campaign with dominant wins over Romania and Tonga, but really stamped their championship credentials with a thrilling win over defending World Cup winners South Africa.

Andy Farrell’s men were in the driver’s seat in Pool B but they needed to keep the fans singing, cheering and bouncing against the Scots. Scotland’s World Cup campaign hung in the balance, and they could’ve knocked Ireland out of the Cup with a win at the Parisian venue.

But Ireland never looked in danger of losing. Wing James Lowe scored after about 65 seconds and the rest was history.

"Sometimes when you know in the back of your mind when you have different permutations, if you get one point, if you get two, if you're losing. All these different things. We just needed to narrow the focus and say we are here to win the game and put in a performance to do that,” Sexton continued.

“Very happy with the lads and we're exactly where we want to be now. We won the pool and we are into the quarter-final. We always knew we would most likely play France or New Zealand. There's no easy option there and we have New Zealand.

"It'll be a very tough game and I see they have been talking about revenge already. It'll be a game they want and we need to be ready for it."