Tadhg Beirne: Ireland-All Blacks rivalry is strictly business

Tadhg Beirne has played down any suggestion that Ireland and New Zealand's players have a personal dislike for each other, saying their rivalry is purely professional.

Revenge has been the common word of the week in the build-up to this Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, with the All Blacks looking to get one over Ireland after Andy Farrell's side claimed a famous Test series win in Wellington last year.

Ireland will also be looking to right some previous wrongs, having lost heavily to New Zealand in the quarter-final four years ago.

It's been reported in recent days that the relationship between the sides has turned sour in the year and a bit since Ireland's 2-1 Test series win, but while Beirne believes there won't be a tackle spared in the 80 minutes on Saturday, their rivalry is strictly business.

"Rugby's one of those games where when you go onto the field, you go to beat the crap out of each other for 80 minutes, and when you step off it you're happy to grab a beer with your opposition number and enjoy the moments after," he said.

Quite the opposite of the reports from New Zealand, Beirne says he and his teammates remember how well they were treated by their hosts after their series win last summer.

"It's no different with New Zealand. One thing I'll remember from New Zealand after the last Test when we beat them, we ran out of beer pretty quick, and the New Zealand squad were pretty quick to bring in their beer and leave us continue celebrating.

"That's respect too, isn't it, off-field respect. It'll be no different on Saturday, we're both going to go at it for 80 minutes, but we'll be very happy to walk into the changing room and have a beer with them."

Having waited more than 100 years for their first ever win