As good as Ireland's win against New Zealand was last November, it paled in significance to the news that would follow later that month.
Whatever the final figure was that the IRFU settled on for Tadhg Furlong's new three-year contract, you can be sure it was the best piece of business they did that year.
Having only signed a 12-month extension in May of last year, the Leinster tighthead was backing himself to make waves on the Lions tour that summer and become even more valuable to both club and country.
He can't have been shy of offers, many outside of this island would consider him to be the best tighthead in the world. On current form, some would suggest he's the best player in the world.
His influence on Ireland goes far beyond the traditional tighthead skills of scrummaging and lineout lifting.
His ball skills are on par with any top level back, and it's something Ireland are beginning to explore more and more, using him - as well as other forwards - as first receivers in attack to create extra time and space for Johnny Sexton.
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And while the average rugby punter still marvels at the sight of a tighthead prop with hands of satin, Furlong is quick to play it down as just part of an evolving game.
"I suppose it's the way it's gone really," the 29-year-old says.
"You have to be able to throw your hand at it. In terms of the game itself, it's only a small part of it. Everyone is pushed to practice it and be good at it because it's a big part of the game now."
On the specific pass in question, the Wexford tighthead explains how the wheels were turning in his head as he carried towards Wales pair Adam Beard and Tomos Williams before the latest of flicks put Sexton through a gap.
"Every team has their general shape but a 10 will call it out the back if he wants it, if he sees the space early or whatever.
"Then there is a little bit of detail in it really. Anyone can do it really, but the trick is to do it well. If you can do it at the line and sit down defenders, there is a knock on effect.
"There is a little bit in it, you're just trying to get a nice catch and try stay square really. If the right option is to tip it on the inside or outside or carry yourself, you have to be able to do that too.
"Look, it's nice when it comes off, yeah, because you're making opportunities for lads outside and the team in general. It's something that we all practise, be that in Leinster or here in Ireland as well. It's part of the game.
"Look, I've been playing rugby since I was four or five, so I'd want to be able to pass the ball a metre, wouldn't I?
"You're always practicing your catch-pass, etc. There is no excuse for being a prop and not doing that nowadays."
Alongside Ronan Kelleher and Andrew Porter, Furlong is part of a locked-in Irish front row that have added a new dimension to both Leinster and Ireland's game this season, since Porter's switch across the scrum from tighthead to loosehead.
And while they have drawn praise for their work around the park in recent months, they are likely to face their most physical challenge yet against France this Saturday in Paris, with the French front row of Cyril Baille, Julian Marchand and Uini Atonio as formidable as it gets in Test rugby.
"We're still a relatively new front-row. We actually haven't played together a whole lot.
"We're still learning, we're still trying to get better. We are still trying to develop and get that feeling and instant game understanding together. Look, that takes time.
"Obviously we know the French pack, at home, what it means to them – that physical confrontation. We know the history of their scrum, we know what the scrum means to them.
"But I think sometimes you can get lost in the way they play – their offloads and it's free-flowing and they all play on top of you. But at the heart of it is the front-row with the maul, the scrum. It's still very, very confrontational."
As a two-time Lion and a 50-cap Ireland international, Furlong is at the top of his game, but like most props in particular he's learned some tough lessons on his day.
Arguably the toughest lesson he learned was six years ago at the Stade de France, when the French scrum ran over Ireland like a train.
At the time Furlong was 23, yet to start a game for Ireland and making just his fifth cap off the bench. Coming on just after the hour mark for Nathan White, Ireland were leading 9-3 at the time, but he - along with his front row partners Jack McGrath and Rory Best were taken apart by the French scrum under their posts which eventually led to the winning French try.
"Do you know what, it was probably inexperience," he says of that 10-9 defeat in 2016.
"Like, playing in France is different. Just the travel is that bit longer… everything is different about playing in France and then the experience of it as well. Then you're under your posts with three or four five-metre scrums. That probably doesn't help either.
"Everyone talks about everything else, this and that, but if you can't scrummage you’re no good to anyone. It’s your primary job. If it doesn’t go well it’s a tough day."
"You always hear when you’re younger that it takes a while for props to learn and it’s only when you’re a little bit older that you realise how true it is.
"You see it in the young fellas coming up as well, it takes time, they need to experience different things. Not just scrums but playing in different parts of the world. It wasn’t something I realised at the time but you understand looking back what everyone is on about."
As tough as those days are, they are often the makings of front row forwards with that build-up of experience and smarts part of the reason they've traditionally had a longer shelf life than other positions on the field.
"I don’t want to blow it up too much either because it’s not as if we conceded penalty tries or anything.
"The scrum pretty much collapsed onto the ground and the ref pinged us but the scrum is such a personal thing to a front rower. It’s the most important thing.
"Everyone talks about everything else, this and that, but if you can’t scrummage you’re no good to anyone. It’s your primary job. If it doesn’t go well it’s a tough day.
"I always say that scrummaging is the best thing in the world if it’s going well but by god you’ll stay awake at night when it doesn’t."
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