Guinness' nod to All Blacks in stunning St Patrick's Day billboard

They might be proudly Irish, but beer giants Guinness has paid tribute to the All Blacks ahead of St Patrick's Day celebrations.

They might be proudly Irish, but beer giants Guinness has paid tribute to the All Blacks ahead of St Patrick's Day celebrations.

With the Rugby World Cup just months away, the gap between the All Blacks, Ireland and the rest of the world has closed in recent times.

To date, the Irish have beaten the All Blacks twice in three years, including holding bragging rights after defeating the men in black 16-9 in Dublin last November.

With both teams fighting it out for the number-one world ranking, Guinness paid tribute to both teams with a stunning Irish-inspired silver fern on their latest billboard.

In the billboard, Guinness has mashed together an Irish clover in the shape of a silver fern on a black background.

"This Sunday, let's drink to meeting in November," the billboard caption says in reference to both nations meeting in the World Cup Final.

The billboard has received positive feedback with a number of people loving the collaboration of the two cultures.

"As a Kiwi with half Celtic heritage I love this fern!" one person said.

Another Kiwi with Irish ancestry said: "It's such a respectful and beautiful way to represent both nations before they do battle on the sports field."

New Zealand and Ireland have only ever met once in the history of the Rugby World Cup, dating back to pool play in 1995 where the All Blacks ran riot, winning 43-19.

Kiwi fans are nervous about the Irish team's rise, with many saying the 2019 World Cup could be the most fiercely battled campaign in its history.

"It's going to be a hard round, some of those other teams are on fire," one wrote.

"I've been digging at my Irish friend ever since we lost, saying it was a one-time thing. Then it happened again and I got worried. If we lose to Ireland in the World Cup I'll be mad.

Ireland currently sits less than three points behind the All Blacks in the World Rugby Rankings, and have a chance to clinch another Six Nations title this weekend.