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DUBLIN - History suggests the risk of defeat is low, but Ireland's recent rugby efforts in New Zealand demand the All Blacks field their strongest side for Sunday's (NZT) test here at Croke Park.
Reminiscent of the Scots last weekend, Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks since rivalry began between the countries in 1905.
From 21 tests, a 10-10 draw at Lansdowne Road in 1973 remains their only cause for celebration.
The All Blacks are favoured to continue that dominance at the citadel of Gaelic football - the home of rugby is currently a building site - on Sunday although head coach Graham Henry clearly regards the challenge posed by Ireland as immense.
Henry today made reference to the three latest tests between the two nations, all in New Zealand, and each one a potential Irish victory.
The most recent in Wellington in June saw the scores locked at 11-11 with 15 minutes to play before the All Blacks ended with a 10-point victory.
Ireland's two-test tour in 2006 also provided plenty of anxious moments in Hamilton and Auckland before the home side prevailed by 11 and 10 points respectively.
That marks Ireland out as the Home Union that has been consistently closest to recording a win over the world's No-1 ranked team in recent seasons.
"Wellington was a hell of a night, in Hamilton (New Zealand won 34-23) the game could have gone either away," Henry recalled as he unveiled a team boasting 618 caps.
"They did very well on their southern tour, they could have won both games (against Australia and New Zealand in June) ... they were probably unfortunate.
"I think this is going to be a hugely contested test match.
"The Irish have a very fine side, there's a lot of depth in Irish rugby. They're the European champions at club level (Munster), they've probably got two of the best club sides in Europe," he said, identifying Leinster as the other.
It is the third most experienced All Blacks side to ever take the field, emphasising how serious team management take their assignment against recently installed Irish coach Declan Kidney, the architect of Munster's European domination.
The combinations that served the All Blacks at the back end of the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup campaigns have been restored.
Daniel Carter starts at first five-eighth for the first time on tour, and the Wellington-Hurricanes midfield of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith are back in tandem despite Richard Kahui's man-of-the-match performance against Scotland last weekend.
A potentially potent back three of Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu combine their 145 caps worth of experience for the first time since the Tri-Nations test at Durban in 2007.
In the pack, the established back row and locking duo are back in harness while only injured hooker Andrew Hore is absent from this season's first-choice starting eight.
The selection means Ali Williams starts his third successive test while Keven Mealamu has had to cope with a similar workload as Hore's replacement.
That places them on the limit of Henry's prescribed maximum workload of three consecutive tests although it seems the rules may be relaxed for two of the team's senior pros.
Henry admitted it was possible the pair could also play against Wales and England, the loophole being neither Williams or Mealamu were ever likely to play the entire 80 minutes.
In terms of this selection Henry needed little time to explain his rationale.
"It's the best team we can put on the track for this particular team," he said.
"Most of these guys have played together in the Tri-Nations so there's a lot of combinations there that have won trophies, that's a positive."
Meanwhile, Kidney's tenure opened with a 55-0 thrashing of Canada in Limerick the same day the All Blacks beat Scotland 32-6.
A two-time Heineken Cup winner with Munster, the Irish are desperate he transfers his expertise to the national side.
Henry rates Kidney highly and doubts the transition will be difficult.
"I think change sometimes brings the best out of a team, and it happens early," he said.
"Although he's a new coach at this level, the Munster boys have played for him and I'm sure the Irish boys will do the same. It's not as though they don't know him."
ALL BLACKS V IRELAND
Played 21 - New Zealand won 20; Ireland won 0, drawn 1
Points scored - New Zealand 538; Ireland 210
First test: New Zealand 15 Ireland 0 at Dublin, Nov 25 1905
Latest test: New Zealand 21 Ireland 11 at Wellington, June 7 2008
Drawn match: 10-10 at Dublin, Jan 20 1973
New Zealand's biggest winning margin: 53 points - New Zealand 59 Ireland 6 at Wellington, June 6 1992
New Zealand's winning sequence: 15 tests - Nov 11, 1974 to present day.
All Blacks
Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Daniel Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Neemia Tialata, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava.
Ireland
Girvan Dempsey, Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Luke Fitzgerald, Robert Kearney, Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary, Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace, Alan Quinlan, Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, John Hayes, Rory Best, Marcus Horan.
Reserves: Jerry Flannery, Tony Buckley, Stephen Ferris, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Keith Earls.
- NZPA
