Ireland test match

All Blacks expect a few tricks from Ireland

The eagerly-anticipated clash at the Aviva Stadium pits the top two teams in the world against one another, with no less of an intriguing sideshow the battle between Hansen and Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, tipped as his possible successor when he leaves his post at the end of the next World Cup.

Hansen said earlier in the week that the winner of this match could call themselves the best team in the world and he expects Six Nations champions Ireland's eagerness to claim a first ever victory over New Zealand in Dublin to translate into an intense battle on the pitch.

Bragging rights as best team in the world on the line

The hype surrounding the clash between Hansen's World Cup winners and Joe Schmidt's Six Nations champions has been growing steadily for the past 12 months as the consistent Irish have risen to number two in the global rankings.

"It is one and two, so whoever wins will be the best side in the world regardless of rankings," Hansen said.

"They are the number two side in the world and you don't get to play one and two that often when they are in two separate hemispheres, so when they do come about, they become pretty big games.