Ireland v New Zealand: Rory Best says Ireland can lift nation with All Blacks win

Rory Best has urged his Ireland team-mates to lift the nation by defeating New Zealand for the first time.

Ireland has been hit hard by the global recession, with the government locked in talks over the possibility of a bail-out by the European Union. But Best hopes the nation's rugby team can provide some temporary relief from the economic crisis by humbling the All Blacks.

"I think a win would boost the country," said the Ulster hooker. "Doing something that has never been done before would give everyone a big lift.

"When we did the Grand Slam a couple of years ago, it was a big lift and this is an equally big challenge for us. The people of Ireland love to see a national team doing well, they love to get behind it."

Ireland have produced poor performances against South Africa and Samoa, while the team's homecoming to the redeveloped Lansdowne Road has been greeted with indifference by hard-up supporters, but a bigger crowd than the 35,515 who turned out to watch the South Africa clash is hoped for this afternoon.

Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), T Court (Ulster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), J Hayes (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), R O'Gara (Munster), K Earls (Munster).

New Zealand: M Muliaina; C Jane, C Smith, M Nonu, H Gear; D Carter, A Ellis; T Woodcock, H Elliot, O Franks, A Boric, T Donnelly, J Kaino, R McCaw (capt), K Read.Replacements: A Hore, J Afoa, S Whitelock, L Messam, A Mathewson, S Donald, S B Williams.

Referee: M Jonker (South Africa).