Ireland vs. New Zealand Rugby 2013: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

New Zealand travel to the Aviva Stadium this weekend expecting to end 2013 on a high, unbeaten in 13 games already this year and with the hopes of adding a 14th victory on Sunday.

Ireland are in a different realm altogether, with Josef Schmidt still fairly new to his role of head coach and the squad in a state of transition, hopes might understandably be low.

However, though it may be a bout of world champions against a team not currently firing on all cylinders, there would be no better way for the Shamrock to recover from last week's Australia loss than to overcome the best in the business this weekend.

In what's sure to be an entertaining climax to both sides' November Test series, read on for the match's full viewing information and a breakdown of some key players. 

Date: Sunday, Nov. 24

Time: 2 p.m. local time (GMT)

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Viewing Info: BBC Two (UK)/RTE Two (IRE)

Stream: BBC website

Schmidt's Impossible Task

Dating all the way back to 1905, Ireland have never claimed a win over the All Blacks, a 10-10 draw in 1973 being the most they've ever got out of a meeting with the Southern Hemisphere giants.

In fact, New Zealand are the only national team Ireland have never claimed a victory against, taking into account all those they've faced.

Things didn't end well for the Irish at the last time of meeting, either, with then-manager Declan Kidney leading his side to a 60-0 defeat in the third and final meeting of their 2012 tour of New Zealand.

In recent months, the All Blacks have been as cutthroat as ever, and Schmidt's challenge this weekend looks nigh insurmountable.

Ireland Player to Watch: Jamie Heaslip

Right now, Kieran Read is arguably the best player in the world, which means Jamie Heaslip has a relatively difficult task in caging his opposite number this weekend.

Coming into the loose, the Irish No. 8 will need to be as strong a defensive force as Read is in attack, a player who likes nothing more than to come onto the wing and either use his combination of speed and power as a finishing touch or simply as a setup to offload.

Heaslip has a habit of turning up most for his side in the biggest encounters, which was probably a factor in why Warren Gatland utilised the Leinster man so frequently during this year's British and Irish Lions tour.

Having said that, Heaslip will need to lead his pack more than ever this weekend and contribute a lot in all aspects of open play if he's to make the necessary impact against the world's finest.

New Zealand Player to Watch: Ben Smith

Ben Smith's switch to centre in recent months has been a seamless one for the All Blacks, so much so that one would barely notice that namesake Conrad Smith was missing.

The Highlanders utility may not have the same potential for tries when playing in midfield, but when New Zealand boast the plethora of wing options they do, Steve Hansen has the most enviable of dilemmas on his hands.

Smith, a team technician of the highest degree, is simply there to do what's best for the squad, not much unlike Sunday's opposite number, Brian O'Driscoll.

Needless to say, a player of O'Driscoll's calibre will give any outside centre some troubles along the way. Smith will have a tough task in overcoming the Irish No. 13 this week, but it's a task he's capable of passing with flying colours.