Joe Schmidt likely to stick with tried and trusted lieutenants

Joe Schmidt is set to go with the tried and trusted for Ireland's daunting assignment with the back-to-back world champions New Zealand. The head coach is no doubt mindful that this will be Ireland's first game in 19 weeks, during which time the All Blacks played seven matches against their fellow Southern Hemisphere big-hitters – and, of course, won the lot.

In the process, the All Blacks reclaimed the Rugby Championship with a maximum 24 points and retained the Bledisloe Cup, setting a new world record for a tier-one nation of 18 consecutive wins.

In contrast, Ireland have been in cold storage for the last four months, and will go into the game with only three pitch sessions under their belt, since losing the third Test to South Africa in Port Elizabeth in the summer.

Hence, although the starting Ireland XV may show seven changes from the side which kicked off that 19-13 defeat, all those recalled are established members of the team or squad.

Counterpoint

Rob Kearney, injured for the tour to South Africa, is set to be re-instated at fullback, and thus will be a counterpoint to Ben Smith in the air, a tussle which could be one of the game's highlights in Soldier Field.

Perhaps not too much should be read into his appearance on Leinster’s bench last Saturday against Connacht at the RDS, as he was a little short of game time this season due to the minor knee injury which interrupted his return to full fitness.

It would be surprising and audacious were Garry Ringrose to be given his Test debut from the start against these rampant All Blacks, although he looks set to have some involvement in this November window. This could be off the bench this Saturday or starting at home against Canada on Saturday week.

If Kearney returns at fullback, this would enable Schmidt to re-instate Jared Payne – who started the first two Tests in South Africa at '15' before being ruled out of the decider – back to outside centre as the defensive lynchpin of the backline, alongside his familiar midfield partner Robbie Henshaw, who was also ruled out of the third Test.

Two survivors

Simon Zebo and Johnny Sexton are also in line for recalls after being ruled out of the summer tour, with Andrew Trimble and Conor Murray the two survivors from the starting backline in Port Elizabeth.

Up front, Jack McGrath and Rory Best will be retained, with Tadhg Furlong set to make his second international start. However, he made eight appearances off the bench last season, when part of both the World Cup and Six Nations squads, and made his full Test debut in the second Test in Ellis Park. The 23-year-old is being groomed as Mike Ross's successor.

Devin Toner remains a stalwart, and will start his 11th successive Test match in the secondrow, alongside either Donnacha Ryan or Ultan Dillane.

Ryan's 80-minute stint last Friday against Ulster suggests a start for Dillane, but then again if ever there was a need for having impact off the bench it is against these strong-finishing All Blacks, and Dillane could be kept in reserve.

The backrow looks like being the same as the one which took the pitch for the 14-man win in the first Test in Cape Town and the third Test in Port Elizabeth, with CJ Stander at blindside and Jordi Murphy at openside, either side of Jamie Heaslip.

The indestructible, indefatigable number eight is thus set to start his 16th Test in a row, and he has also completed the full 80 minutes in Ireland’s last 11 games.

Meteoric rise

The bench looks like it could feature at least one uncapped player in 21-year-old New Zealand-born, Leinster-reared outhalf Joey Carbery, who has had a meteoric rise this season, and possibly another in the Munster tighthead John Ryan should Finlay Bealham's suspected concussion rule him out the match.

There's also another uncapped player in the 27-man squad which flew to Chicago on Monday, namely scrumhalf Luke McGrath, who is putting pressure on Kieran Marmion and who, in contrast to his Connacht counterpart, remained unused on Leinster's bench for their win over Pat Lam's side last Saturday. The outside backs-cum-midfield cover appears to rest in a straight choice between the aforementioned Ringrose and Craig Gilroy.

A resurgent Cian Healy, Seán Cronin and Josh van der Flier are other players likely to be entrusted with providing some ballast off the bench in the last 20 or 30 minutes.

The approach of Steve Hansen and the rest of the All Blacks' brains trust to the first of their side's end-of-year European tour will also be interesting.

With the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup brilliantly secured, as in the past this tour offers more scope to extend further their unrivalled strength in depth.

However, they are team clearly on a mission to extend all boundaries, and this means adding to their unprecedented 18-game winning streak.

IRELAND (possible v New Zealand): R Kearney; A Trimble, J Payne, R Henshaw, S Zebo; J Sexton, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best (capt), T Furlong; D Toner, D Ryan; CJ Stander, J Murphy, J Heaslip.

Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy, F Bealham or J Ryan, U Dillane, J van der Flier, K Marmion, J Carbery, C Gilroy or G Ringrose.