Johnny Sexton says Ireland can draw on the experiences of their Test series win in New Zealand when they face the All Blacks next week, but warns they'll be taking on a side more motivated than ever.
Ireland already know what it's like to face New Zealand in a World Cup quarter-final when they have a point to prove; four years ago they hammered Ireland 46-14 in the last eight of the competition in Tokyo, gaining revenge for their defeat to Joe Schmidt's side a a year previous in Dublin.
When the sides meet at Stade de France on Saturday night, it will be the first time they've come face to face since Ireland's Test series win away to Ian Foster's side in the summer of 2022.
And while Sexton says they way they came from behind to defeat New Zealand for the first time on their home patch is proof to themselves that they can do it again.
"We went to New Zealand and Andy [Farrell] told us he'd put us under the most pressure he could find," Sexton said.
"To go on a three Test tour but also to do the midweek games, it was to test us and to make us learn and we learnt so many lessons on that tour to take with us for the Six Nations, to win a Grand Slam, and it's to put us in this situation to have to play them again."
The first of those two wins away to New Zealand last summer started what has now become a 17-game winning run, and they can match the record for a Tier 1 nation next week, with the All Blacks and England the only two to have reached 18 games.
However, Sexton knows there's little in sport quite like a New Zealand scorned.
"We always knew we would most likely play France or New Zealand [in the quarter-final]. There's no easy option there and now we've got New Zealand, so it will be a very tough game. I see that they were talking about revenge already and stuff like that, so it will be a game they want and we need to be ready for it."
"They've already said it's one that they want and when they're hurting and they want to put it right, that's the biggest challenge in rugby, to try and beat them when they're in that frame of mind.
"Two teams will both be under pressure for different reasons and it will be who copes with that the best and who can put their game out there on the biggest day when the pressure is on," he added.
Once again on Saturday night the Stade de France was taken over by the Irish support, tens of thousands of whom were still in their seat after the full-time whistle as Zombie, The Fields of Athenry and Dirty Old Town rang out over the PA system.
After the win against South Africa a fortnight ago the Ireland captain said he's never seen at atmosphere quite like it, and the out-half was happily eating those words after the win thumping 36-14 win against Scotland.
"They went and proved me wrong," he said of the crowd.
"My brother text me about three hours before the game, he was down at the stadium already and he just said, 'Wait until you see what it's like.' He wasn't here last week, my other brother was here last week, but I took his word for it.
"The lads were talking, we have a Scottish physio who told me it would be a 50:50 crowd. I said 'we'll see'.
"They give us some of the best days of our lives, and it's important that we repay that with our performance and give them something to cheer about. We definitely did tonight. It's all about next week now. Against South Africa we knew we had two weeks to prepare but we're focused already on next week."
Those sentiments were echoed by head coach Andy Farrell, who railed against the idea that his players over-celebrated their win against the Springboks by taking a lap around the pitch to applaud the supporters.
The players repeated that lap at the Stade on Saturday night, and the Ireland boss says it's a simple gesture he hopes will go a long way.
"I think it's amazing, the songs at the end of the game, I love all that," Farrell said.
"We got a bit of stick, didn't we, for walking around against South Africa, but we walk round and thank the fans after every game. It's the least we can do when they turn up in their thousands like they've done.
"We play for them, we talk about it every week. I talked about it before the game today in the dressing room, it means more than what people think, 100%, and I know that France is buzzing with Irish people, but I believe it's bonkers back home.
"We're torn a bit, enjoying it with the fans back home or stay here? We'll stay here for now! We know when we turn up for training on Monday that we're not just doing it for ourselves."
