It's chapter two for Greg McWilliams and his Ireland side as they take on France in the cauldron of the Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse.
Make no mistake, earning what would be a first-ever win in France is a huge ask for this nascent team, who go into the game as 24-point underdogs off the back of a 27-19 defeat to Wales.
"We are going out to France to fight and to win," said the head coach this week as he rallied his troops.
Last week there was an air of cautious optimism prior to the game at the RDS.
Despite the turmoil from which a new team had emerged and a relatively inexperienced squad, there was enough going in their favour - not least that it was just 12 months on from a 45-0 win away to Wales - to suggest that they could get the job done.
The frustration of blowing a 19-10 lead was evident in the aftermath.
The visitors only took the lead with seven minutes to go and with a slice of luck, Ireland could have got the new era off to a winning start.
The three Irish tries came off just 34% possession and showed that this Irish team has the skills to break the defensive line.
"[Greg] obviously has a very clear vision of how he wants to play," former Ireland men’s head coach Eddie O'Sullivan told the RTÉ Rugby podcast this week.
"You can already see his stamp on the team; do they have it down perfectly? No, but who would expect that in the first game."
McWilliams knows he has to find the right balance between staying true to his brand and avoiding the sort of defeat the team suffered last year when they conceded eight tries in a 56-15 defeat in Donnybrook.
"It would be wrong of me as a coach if you think you are going to be playing swashbuckling rugby the whole time," he said ahead of this afternoon’s meeting against a France outfit that have won their last three homes games on a combined scoreline of 137-16
"Rugby is a game where you need to be able to play the structured and the unstructured. There’s no doubt that we’ve focused on the unstructured and our ability to play open.
"We also need to have the ability to play tight, to play narrow so I think it’s one of those things, our plan and vision doesn’t change at all.
"It’s the exact same vision that we had before Wales but we go out and understand that there are some things that we need to tidy up on in order that we are more successful."
Les Bleues, now under head coaches Annick Hayraud and Thomas Darracq, have never lost at home to Ireland and are on a run of 20 wins in their last 21 home ties.
Eight of the 14 penalties conceded against Wales came at the ruck and tidying up the breakdown will be essential to any chance of an upset.
"We’ve spoken of that as a squad," said skipper Nichola Fryday.
"We need to be smarter. After two or three penalties, if we’re not painting the right picture, we have to change tack and do it quicker and recognise that.
"It’s going to change from week to week with different refs. It’s about quicker recognition, changing tactics and being fluid enough to make those changes on the pitch."
One of the main talking points about Ireland's unchanged line-up is the continued absence of star wing Beibhinn Parsons, who is once again left on the bench.
McWilliams says she is "fully fit" but has decided that one of Ireland’s top performers over the last two years is better placed as an impact sub.
Now based in France, prop Linda Djougang, who scored a super try last weekend, make be able to have extra impact with her language skills and Ireland will need all the help they can get.
France, meanwhile, make seven changes to the team that beat Italy, while scrum-half Laure Sansus is just one of a number of danger women in their attack.
She made five carries last week and crossed the gainline each time. Sounds like another French scrum-half we know.
It's a daunting task but Fryday has a simple message for her team: "Look, enjoy it but at the same time when you get there make that switch on so that you're ready to go onto that pitch because the noise will be huge, the atmosphere will be huge but you have to be able to make that switch and focus on your job, and your next one after that as well."
Ireland have something of a "free shot" this afternoon, with very few expecting a maiden away win for the team.
Whatever the result, the team can progress as long as they stay in the game and trade some blows.
Verdict: France
France: Émilie Boulard; Cyrielle Banet, Maëlle Filopon, Gabrielle Vernier, Mélissande Llorens; 10. Caroline Drouin, Laure Sansus; 1. Coco Lindelauf, Laure Touyé, Clara Joyeux; Madoussou Fall, Audrey Forlani; Axelle Berthomieu, Gaëlle Hermet (capt), Romane Ménager.
Replacements: Célia Domain, Annaëlle Deshayes, Assia Khalfaoui, Céline Ferer, Julie Annery, Alexandra Chambon, Jessy Trémoulière, Chloé Jacquet.
Ireland: Eimear Considine; Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins, Stacey Flood, Lucy Mulhall; Nicole Cronin, Aoibheann Reilly; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Katie O'Dwyer, Nichola Fryday (capt), Sam Monaghan; Dorothy Wall, Edel McMahon, Brittany Hogan
Replacements: Emma Hooban, Chloe Pearse, Christy Hanley, Anna McGann, Hannah O'Connor, Kathryn Dane, Enya Breen, Beibhinn Parsons.
Referee: Sara Cox (RFU)
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