It's the envy of most rugby players; a 100% winning record against New Zealand. Joey Carbery's stats are of course from just one outing, but he is ready for battle this Saturday.
The Auckland-born Munster out-half is again chosen as Johnny Sexton's cover as Joe Schmidt plots to stop the visitors extending their unbeaten record in Dublin to 16 games.
Carbery's debut came off the bench in the memorable victory over the country of his birth at Soldier Field two years ago, an assured performance to guide the underdogs home in Chicago.
We need your consent to load this SoundCloud contentWe use SoundCloud to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
He missed the bruising 21-9 defeat in Dublin a fortnight later however, with Paddy Jackson kicking two penalties after replacing the injured Sexton.
Schmidt spoke today of the over-aggressive approach that night in Dublin - "there were decisions made by the referee that day that befuddled everybody. I don't think there is any confusion with that" - but Carbery was a little more diplomatic at the team base in Carton House.
"I think that's just the way the All Blacks play, they're physical," he told RTÉ Sport. "I think the way international rugby is going at the moment, every week is going to be a battle.
"So, when we played Italy, they came out and smashed us, the same with Argentina. We know what to expect going forward and I suppose we want to bring physical but we want to bring our game on as well. We're preparing like we usually do."
But can you really prepare for the physical onslaught expected on Saturday evening?
"Not really. Mentally, you an visualise it and get up whenever you can."
Tiring of being a replacement at Leinster, the 23-year-old moved down the M7 for more game time at 10, but at international level, Sexton still dominates the landscape. Providing cover at full-back if required is another string to the bow, but maintaining concentration from the sideline is key if any impact is to be made upon introduction to the field of play.
"It's pretty tough but I suppose you just have the make sure you know all the detail; all the plays, all the defensive patterns and stuff, so if you are called upon in the first minute or the last, you need to be able to fit in, slot in and everyone is pretty clued in on their roles so it makes it a bit easier.
"You have to have a look at the game and see how it's unfolding, what's the defence doing and obviously different scenarios when you come on."
The hosts are on their longest ever winning streak at home (10), but the bookmakers expect that to come to an end, notwithstanding the six-point spread is less than the majority of previous encounters.
RTÉ Rugby analyst @LenihanDonal previews #IREvNZL on @morningireland #rterugby pic.twitter.com/3EDEYLcknk
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) November 16, 2018
If Ireland are to topple the only side above them in the rankings, game management will again be brought into focus. While the men in green were praised for knowing when to kick the corners and when to take the shot at posts in Chicago, history is written by the winners.
What would Ireland do with an early penalty in an attacking position tomorrow?
"It's pretty important to build the score against the All Blacks. Every point you can take, take it. Then get back and start again. It obviously depends on the score at the time."
Carbery admits he is more comfortable in his skin than the rookie that was thrust into the limelight two years ago and far more experienced.
Some of his family and friends will be in attendance, while texts have come through from New Zealand wishing him the best of luck.
Ireland will probably need a slice of it themselves if Carbery is to maintain his perfect record.
Follow Ireland v New Zealand via our liveblog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the News Now app, watch live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 this Saturday (kick-off 7pm)
