Try scoring hero Rob Kearney knows from bitter experience that topping a tough Rugby World Cup pool is no guarantee of quarter-final success.
Four years ago Ireland beat Australia to finish top of their group in New Zealand, but crashed out against Wales in the last eight.
Joe Schmidt’s team set-up a quarter-final meeting with Argentina in Cardiff next Sunday thanks to their historic weekend 24-9 win over France.
But Kearney knows that will count for nothing and he is determined not to let history repeat itself.
"We were here four years ago and topped the group," said the full-back, who scored the first try against France on Sunday.
"Everyone thought we were brilliant, we thought we were brilliant and we went out and got pumped by a really good Wales team.
"So we don't have much time to sit around and think about this great performance we had yesterday, we have to move on really quickly.
"Bar the Australians the Argentinians have probably been the most impressive side. Their ability to score points has been very, very strong throughout the tournament. We've got to make sure we're next-task focused as quickly as we can be. We're a very different team from four years ago.
"Our mental strength on how we approach games on a week-to-week basis has improved massively. And again this will be a big test for us in terms of how much of a week-to-week team we actually are."
Meanwhile, Ian Madigan (pictured) has been branded Ireland's Paul Gascoigne after his tearful reaction to Sunday's victory over France.
Fly-half Madigan bawled his eyes out at the final whistle of Ireland's biggest victory over France since 1975.
The Leinster pivot stepped squarely out of Johnny Sexton's shadow after the British and Irish Lions fly-half trudged out of the France clash with a groin strain.
Madigan bossed Ireland's backline to come of Test-match age, drawing comparisons from his team-mates with former England midfielder Gascoigne's famous waterworks at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.
"Yeah the boys are calling him Gazza inside there!" said full-back Rob Kearney.
"I think it was a day where Ian Madigan really stood up for us.
"We needed him to come on and really take control of things and he did, it was brilliant."
Gascoigne's tears were shed in frustration at receiving a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the final, as England battled a semi-final with West Germany.
Peter O’Mahony has been ruled out of the rest of the competition due to injury and Paul O’Connell is likely to join him on the sidelines.
There are also worries over out-half Sexton while there are fears that Sean O’Brien could miss the Argentina match following his punch on France’s Pascal Pape.
