Dane Coles on Ireland: All Blacks have 'scars' from defeats to 'best in world'

New Zealand hooker Dane Coles says his team can't wait to pit their wits against "the best team in the world at the moment" in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.

The three-time winners of the competition go into the last-eight match with Ireland in the rare position of underdog such is the recent form of Andy Farrell’s Ireland.

The All Blacks, who hadn’t tasted defeat to Ireland prior to 2016 and won the corresponding fixture four years ago convincingly, have bounced back from their opening pool defeat to hosts France, yet questions linger over how far Ian Foster’s side can go given their patchy form over the last two years.

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The world's number one ranked side Ireland on the other hand are looking to make it 18 Test victories in a row, a run that started with two wins on New Zealand soil last summer.

Having notched just two wins in their last half a dozen outings against Ireland, hooker Coles says that the opportunity to take on the Six Nations grand slam winners is one the squad is looking forward to.

"We love that it’s Ireland," he told reporters.

"They’ve been the best team in the world and there are a few scars with us losing to them. You can’t hide from that fact. It’s a really good opportunity to play them.

"They were the benchmark. The All Blacks were the benchmark for a long time. But to come up short in your home country was more than a kick in the guts. Every time you lose in an All Blacks jersey it does leave a little scar."

Cole was part of the 2015 World Cup-winning squad