Eddie O'Sullivan basked in the glory of Ireland's stunning autumn double over the southern hemisphere and declared: 'It's right to feel giddy'.
But the head coach was quick to crush talk of mounting a serious challenge at next year's World Cup by insisting the make-up of Ireland's group delivers a sobering reality check.
Australia were dismantled 21-6 at Lansdowne Road yesterday, a result that lifts the Triple Crown winners two places up the world rankings to third - their joint highest position.
With successive - and emphatic - victories against South Africa and Australia in the bank, claims that this is the best Ireland team of all time look credible.
But while O'Sullivan admitted it is right to celebrate the highs of the last the last 10 days, he refused to read too much into Ireland's lofty position near the top of the rankings.
'It's all right to be giddy for a few days. It was a good victory against a strong Australia team. They weren't experimenting and put their best foot forward for this game,' he said.
'I don't take too much notice of where we are in the game. It doesn't change where you are in the overall scheme of things. The rankings are a barometer of where a team are. You can only draw conclusions from it over a period of time.
'Ireland have been in and around the top five for the last couple of years. We are third now but if we lost a couple of games in the Six Nations we'd slip right back down. That wouldn't mean there's a catastrophe looming, just like if you move up a few places it doesn't mean you'll win the World Cup. But it's nice to be up there.'
Ireland's success this autumn has seen them touted as second favourites behind New Zealand to lift the World Cup - Wallaby boss John Connolly insisted they could win it - but O'Sullivan furiously played down their chances in France next year.
They have been drawn in the toughest group alongside the hosts and Argentina and O'Sullivan will not look beyond securing qualification for the knockout stages.
'Talk over having the potential to win the World Cup is where it all gets giddy,' he said. 'The World Cup is funny and the best example of that is New Zealand. Every time it comes around they're favourites to win it. But they won't have won it in 20 years (when next year's tournament starts).
'They know more than anyone that in the latter stages there's no divine right to win - look at what happened against France in 1999 and Australia in 2003.
'If we had to play one of the big guns we wouldn't be favourites. But on any given day if we play to our potential we could turn over one of the big teams.
'But first you have to reach the knockout stages of the competition. We know we have the most difficult group in the World Cup with France and Argentina also in there.
'That's three teams in the top six of the rankings in one group. If that doesn't keep your feet on the ground then you have to be silly. The most important thing for us is to get out of our pool.
'France have been beaten by Argentina four times on the bounce and our games against the Pumas are always very close. I'd be surprised if the hosts didn't get out of the pool, which leaves us and Argentina.
'I'm not saying we won't get out of the pool, but it puts the challenge facing us into context. Talk of winning World Cup has little significance when you're faced with that situation.'
Ireland will enter the RBS 6 Nations as favourites with that elusive Grand Slam seemingly there for the taking, but once again O'Sullivan urged caution.
'Grand Slams are extremely difficult to win. They are rarer now than ever. Everything has to go right over seven weeks and five matches. It's about momentum,' he said.
'We should be there or thereabouts but just one wheel has to fall off the wagon and that's the end of the Grand Slam. Triple Crowns or finishing second are nice things to do but the Grand Slam is a rare jewel to get your hands on.
'You'd be foolish to talk about winning the Grand Slam. Any team that has talked about winning one has never pulled it off in recent years. I'm not trying to talk our way out of but that's a fact of life.'
O'Sullivan names his team to play the Pacific Islanders - the last of Ireland's autumn opposition - on Wednesday.
