Rugby World Cup 2019: Seven-up New Zealand thrash Ireland to set up England semi-final

Tokyo: Aaron Smith scored a brace of tries as defending champions New Zealand thrashed Ireland 46-14 on Saturday to set up a mouth-watering World Cup semi-final against England in Yokohama next weekend.

The All Blacks, seeking a third successive World Cup title, scored three first-half tries to all but end the game as a contest, going on to add four more in the second period.

Pivot Richie Mo'unga contributed 11 points with the boot to extend New Zealand's record World Cup winning streak to 18 games, stretching back to their 2007 quarter-final defeat by France.