Ireland vs New Zealand Prediction & Betting Tips - Rugby World Cup

Ireland came into the tournament as one of the most fancied sides to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. They completed the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, dethroning the host nation France. The Shamrocks got their RWC campaign started in the best way possible. They demolished Romania in the opening week 82-8 and followed up with a 59-16 mauling of Tonga a week later. However, their undoubted biggest win of the competition came in their third match, where they overcame defending champions South Africa 13-8. Ireland secured top spot in the pool of death by beating Scotland 36-14 last weekend, which sent the Scots packing from the competition. They are now on a 17-match winning streak, which is by far the longest active winning streak of any tier-one nation. 

While Ireland dominated the Northern Hemisphere earlier this year, New Zealand claimed the Southern Hemisphere’s title. They won the 2023 Rugby Championship for a third consecutive year, beating South Africa, Australia and Argentina. After being outplayed by France in the opening match of the tournament, many had written off the All Blacks, but the three-time champs had other ideas. They bounced back to beat Namibia 71-3 before trouncing Italy by a whopping 96-17 in their third match. Add to that a 73-0 win over Uruguay last week, and it is fair to say that the All Blacks are back to their dominant best. While Ireland may have the better recent record, New Zealand have dominated this fixture, winning 30 of the 36 meetings between these sides.