With Munster recording a famous win in 1978, Irish fans could have reasonably expected their side was on the verge – for season after painful season – of claiming the greatest scalp of all.
The desire to grow out of the shadow of the black jersey has driven the men in green to great things. It has done the same for other rugby nations, too.
Just as regular contact with the All Blacks strengthened the Wallabies in the second half of the 20th century, consistent exposure to the All Blacks has improved Ireland.
It took 101 years for the two sides to play their first 19 matches; they’ve rattled through the next 19 clashes in a breezy 18 years.
The New Zealand influence on Ireland’s growth as a rugby force goes even deeper than serving as inspiration.
Players who learned the game in New Zealand have for decades brought a Kiwi sensibility to the Irish game, at club level and in the national side. This trend has increased markedly with the introduction of professionalism in the sport.
Kiwi coaches have also been involved. When Ireland finally broke their All Blacks duck in Chicago, in 2016, they did so with a New Zealander coaching the side.
The shrewd Joe Schmidt instilled a degree of tactical acumen and defensive strategy in the Irish side that elevated them beyond the headlong passionate charges of old. Half of those four Grand Slams came in the years that followed Schmidt’s introduction to the top Irish side.
This has been the finest era in the history of Irish rugby, and – given the extent to which New Zealand has inspired and fuelled that growth – it’s fitting that the pinnacle of their finest era was the brilliant series win on these shores in 2022.
This morning’s contest will mark the latest instalment in Ireland’s well-deserved place at the top table of the global game.
