Ireland will seek to at last break through their World Cup glass ceiling by beating New Zealand to reach the semi-finals for the first time on Saturday.

Andy Farrell’s team, ranked number one in the world, can take a big step towards emulating England in 2003 in completing the Six Nations Grand Slam/World Cup double.

Hammered by the All Blacks four years ago at the same stage, the recent history between the two sides suggests the Irish have slightly the upper hand against an ageing team who appear weaker than 2019.

Victory on Saturday would be Ireland head coach Andy Farrell’s fourth in five meetings with New Zealand, including a historic series win in New Zealand last year.

Read the full story on the Times of Malta sports website...