Garry Ringrose, Rob Kearney & Peter O'Mahony return for Ireland-All Blacks clash

Ireland remain 13-point underdogs for Saturday’s second quarter-final clash with New Zealand in Tokyo after head coach Joe Schmidt confirmed his centre pairing in the absence of the banned Bundee Aki will be Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose and named Rob Kearney at full-back.

Peter O’Mahony, the star of the show when the boys in green beat the All Blacks 16-9 in Dublin last year, has been brought back into the pack after missing the Samoa game.

Twelve of the team that enjoyed a second success in three meetings with the Kiwis have been picked by Schmidt.

New Zealand boss Steve Hansen has taken the opposite selection approach. Only three of his backs - Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett and Jack Goodhue - started at the Aviva Stadium.

Goodhue and Anton Lienert-Brown will be their midfield combination, with Richie Mo'unga at fly-half and Beaudie at full-back alongside wings George Bridge and Sevu Reece.

In the All Blacks forwards, Codie Taylor is preferred to Dane Coles at hooker and Brodie Retallick returns to the second row despite a lack of game-time since suffering a shoulder injury in their summer Rugby Championship clash with South Africa.

A rainy afternoon is expected to give way to a cloudy evening in the capital.

With dazzling wing Cheslin Kolbe proving his fitness, South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has named the same 23 that featured in their 49-3 win over Italy for the fourth quarter-final with hosts Japan.

That means no place in the squad for Cobus Reinach, hat-trick hero from their Pool B finale with Canada.

The Brave Blossoms get a 15-point start from the Springboks.

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