Preview: All of the pressure is on Ireland, but they can welcome it against the All Blacks

The weather is turning in Paris.

Overnight, from Friday to Saturday, the 27C temperatures are set to drop right down into the mid-teens. Winter is coming, but the Rugby World Cup is warming up.

Dublin Airport was rammed with green jerseys on Friday, an almost weekly occurrence since Ireland began their campaign in Bordeaux back on 9 September.

The departures board in Terminal 1 showed nine separate flights headed to one of the three Parisian airports, and that was just in a four-hour block between 10:30am and 2.30pm. There was another rush in the evening.

The route to Stade de France is one of planes, trains and automobiles though; one woman at the water-filling station was heading via Santander, before praying there would be no issues with her flight into Paris the following morning.

Whatever way they get there, Irish fans are making sure they'll be there. Paris may be neutral ground for a meeting of Ireland and New Zealand, but given the ease of access for the Irish, this will be a home game in all but name.

It’s not just through the considerable support from the stands that Ireland will be able to draw on something close to home comforts. For the third game in a row they’re at the Stade de France, and for the third game in a row they have a 9pm local time kickoff. They’re used to the city, they’re used to the routine and the pitch and the environment.

They’re not used to a favourite’s tag against New Zealand though.

While the All Blacks have won three World Cups and Ireland have never even won a quarter-final, it’s Andy Farrell’s side who come into this last-eight meeting as – slender – favourites.

It’s a justified favourite’s tag too. While it took them more than 100 years to pick up a win against New Zealand, Ireland have