Irish confident: Brooke

Ireland are confident of beating the All Blacks at Lansdowne Rd in Dublin next month, according to former All Black Zinzan Brooke.

"They think they are going to beat the All Blacks. The public are right behind them and I think it will be a tough game," Brooke said.

The All Blacks' 30-man team to tour Ireland, Scotland and Argentina will be named on Sunday.

The team will leave for Dublin next Wednesday.

Ireland had been focusing on beating the All Blacks since upset-ting England 11 days ago, Brooke said from his home near London yesterday.

"A couple of weeks ago, Warren Gatland's coaching job was on the line. But they have won 10 out of the last 12 outings and finished equal top on points in the Six Nations.

"The Irish are starting to say they will win on November 18. That rubs off on to the players and that's the way it actually looks on the field.

"If you had asked me about a month ago I would have said the All Blacks would beat them by 30 or 40 points."

But the Irish have exciting new try-scoring abilities, and Brooke believes Brian O'Driscoll will be the best centre on show at the World Cup in 2003.

"O'Driscoll is the bee's knees. He's very good. He's electric. He's a very big, balanced player.

"In a couple of years he is going to blow everyone away. He will be the best centre in the world."

- NZPA