So Ireland topped off the greatest of Novembers in the grandest of manners to become the first side since England's World Cup vintage of 2003 to beat the three southern hemisphere superpowers in the same calendar year. History-makers from the beginning of the month to the end.
By discovering reserves in personnel and of character they didn't even know they had to beat Australia 27-24 in front of another deliriously packed Aviva Stadium on Saturday, this squad have rarely generated such pride amongst the Irish sporting public.
In the process, they have cemented their standing in the world's top four and, combined with a Northern Hemisphere revival during the month, have whetted the appetite for the Six Nations. Already eyes have turned to the Six Nations and the home games against France and, on the final Saturday, the day after St Patrick's Day, against the Grand Slam holders England.
Ireland want that title back.
"I think everybody does," said Joe Schmidt in the aftermath of Saturday's latest rollercoaster. "Certainly, our group wants the title, but you want the title every year. I've no doubt that England aren't that keen to give it up either. They're on a tour de force at the moment. They really look incredibly powerful across all positions with a degree of depth I'm not sure we can ever quite get to with the depth of player resources they have.
Roll up sleeves
“For us it is just about rolling up our sleeves. We saw with Italy against South Africa last weekend – I know they had a slip-up [losing to Tonga on Saturday], but on their day if you take them lightly they can knock you over. We start away to Scotland and Italy, so England are not in our thinking at the moment because they are at the end of the Six Nations. To be honest, I probably haven’t been thinking about any of the Six Nations because you kind of get immersed from week to week, particularly when you are playing teams of the quality of the All Blacks and the Wallabies.”
Indeed. It has been a stellar but exhausting month, with the more established heartbeat of the team (Rory Best, Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray and co) maintaining richly high standards and supplemented by the newer tyros, Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Furlong and Garry Ringrose.
“I’m exhausted all right,” admitted Schmidt. “People said: ‘Oh wow, you must have really enjoyed Chicago.’ Chicago, was that two or three years ago? It seems like yesterday and three years ago because we had to get back, we had to get ready for Canada, we had 15 new guys coming in.
“Then we had to bounce and turn everything around to get ready for the All Blacks again, knowing that they would come fully loaded with a full-strength team. And turn ourselves around from the disappointment and the bruising encounter that it was and get ready for the Wallabies.
Reflect
“I’d like to reflect over the next week or so and I’ll work my way around the provinces and catch up with the individuals who’ve played for us and have a bit of chat with them about how they’ve gone so far and where we need to get to, because I think if you ever stand still you’ll get run over. So we’ve got to try to keep pushing on.”
Ireland’s game, and their strength in depth, certainly looks more potent and developed than going into last season’s Six Nations, when Ireland fulfilled Schmidt’s target of a top-half finish.
Cue, typically if understandably, a note of caution from Schmidt.
“I certainly hope so but you can’t control the circumstances between now and then. Right now I think we are better equipped but when we get to Scotland I am not sure what the injury situation will be. Sometimes you are affected by the confidence of European form or Pro12 form, the provincial players that come in and make up the side.
“So two months is a long gap,” said Schmidt, adding: “There is not a lot of time to gel everyone back together after a couple of months apart.”
Noting that the loss of five players for the World Cup was so damaging because it was effectively the spine of the team, the Ireland coach said: “We are working hard, we are trying to make sure the spine has a few more vertebrae in it so we can slip a few more guys in and out of it, but inevitably you get a guy, a leader like Rory Best, you don’t suddenly replace him.
Control a game
“You get a guy like Conor Murray who can control a game like he did in Chicago, you do not suddenly slip someone in even if he is a good little winger,” added Schmidt in reference to
Kieran Marmion
. “He does not necessarily come straight in and play really well as scrumhalf or to the same level as Conor Murray.
“So no matter what teams in the world you look at, there are players who make a difference every time they play. I would say for the All Blacks Retallick is one, I think he is a phenomenal player and when they did not have him in Chicago as opposed to when they did have him here, it makes your life a lot more difficult.”
Interestingly, while hopeful that the injuries to Johnny Sexton (strained hamstring) and Robbie Henshaw (concussion) were short-term, Schmidt strongly hinted that Sexton might be due an extended rest.
“I got asked last week does he need a window of time to really make sure that he can be more robust and that’s probably one of the things that comes up for discussion, now that this window is over. So some of those discussions will take place and we’ll have a clearer picture after that.”
