Tadhg Beirne: 'We want to inspire everyone back home'

When Ireland take to the pitch at the Stade de France next Saturday night to face the All Blacks, it'll be the third game in a row for Andy Farrell's side in Saint-Denis.

Professional athletes are creates of habit, particularly on gameday, and there are countless benefits for them in the familiarity that the Stade will bring; the routine of their day, the route to the ground, having a feel for the pitch and the conditions.

Most importantly, they'll also have the crowd.

In the wins against South Africa and Scotland, there's been an overwhelming majority of Irish supporters in the stands, and it's made for an electric atmosphere.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, both head coach and captain were blown away by the Irish support on Saturday night, which the players took time to acknowledge after the game, walking a lap of the ground to applaud the thousands still in their seats.

"It's very hard to put into words," Tadhg Beirne said of the support.

"When you see the sea of green, I don’t know what it’s like for you in the stand, but when you’re in the middle of the pitch and you look around the whole stadium and you see that sea of green, and the noise, it’s incredibly uplifting. It’s incredibly motivational."

"It gives us such a lift to know the support we have, to know the support we have at home. That’s what we’re doing this for: we’re doing it for the Irish people, we want to inspire everyone back home and inspire all the Irish people.

"And when you get wins and you get reaction like today, it’s very exciting."

Geography would dictate that there will likely me more green jerseys than black in the crowd this Saturday for the meeting of Ireland and New Zealand.

The 9pm local time kick-offs may be brutal for the players, but as