Rónan Kelleher admits that Ireland's loss to New Zealand at the 2023 Rugby World Cup will always be somewhere in the back of his mind.
Ireland were ranked world number one and had beaten the All Blacks in three of the previous four meetings, including two Test wins in New Zealand in 2022.
Hopes were high that Andy Farrell’s side, then Six Nations champions, would be able to break the quarter-final hoodoo but they fell to an agonising 28-24 defeat at Stade de France, with Kelleher held up over the line late on by New Zealand centre Jordie Barrett.
The sides will clash again in Chicago on 1 November with Ireland looking to avoid a third-straight loss following the 23-13 reverse 12 months ago in Dublin.
"Yeah, I'd say realistically it probably will," hooker Kelleher told RTÉ Sport when asked if that’s a game that will forever be in the system.
"It was very disappointing for us.
"We had high hopes and expectations for ourselves as a team and we fell well short of them.
"It was bitterly disappointing to lose, especially in the manner we did.
"We've gone and played them since then, we lost last year but there's a few things we're looking to right out of the performances and really try and get one up on them this time."
The clash in Chicago, billed as 'The Gallagher Cup – The Rematch', comes on the ninth anniversary of the famous match in 2016 when Ireland beat the All Blacks for the first time in 111 years.
Joe Schmidt’s side produced a stunning performance with tries from Jordi Murphy, CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Robbie Henshaw, as well as kicks from Johnny Sexton, Murray and Joey Carbery, securing a 40-29 victory.
Kelleher, who played eight of the ten British and Irish Lions matches this summer, was 18 at the time.
"I was up at Union Café in Mount Merrion," he recalled.
"It was a massive game, a massive result and occasion for Irish rugby.
"I'd say every Irish rugby fan remembers where they were for that moment. It was so big. It was years and years of disappointment at losing.
"2013 was the other year we came very close at home. It was a real momentous occasion.
"Every player that is selected in that matchday 23 and squad will be really hoping to write their own piece of history in Chicago nine years on."
Before the return to the US, Kelleher and his Leinster side have business to attend to in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
They face unbeaten Munster in Croke Park on Saturday afternoon (5.15pm) looking to build on the weekend's victory over Sharks, their first win of the season.
"All we can focus on is our preparation," said the 27-year-old, who has played 80 times for Leinster.
"Naturally every time we come up against Munster it really narrows the focus, one of our biggest, oldest rivals.
"It is funny because you are enemies one week and team-mates the next and you want to go into camp having those bragging rights.
"It's a game you desperately want to win, having come up with them through underage systems, Ireland squads or in the case of Mick Milne and Lee Barron, where they were team-mates last year and have moved down.
"It will be great catching up with them but also be great to get one up on them as well."
Leinster, who won the URC last season, are playing catch-up having started the campaign with two defeats in South Africa.
It leaves little room for error in the race for top seeding and Kelleher was asked what represents a successful season for the defending champions.
"Every year we have the same expectations – it's to win Europe and win the URC, that's the answer, that's a successful season," said the Dubliner.
"We hold ourselves to high standards, high expectations and high aims, knowing how tough it is to get there, how difficult it is to win.
"You have to aim high, look to try and be in it and hopefully get over the line."
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