There are few rugby arenas quite like the Principality Stadium in Cardiff when it's at full volume, and Hugo Keenan is expecting it to be as loud as ever this Saturday in the opening round of the Guinness Six Nations.
Keenan has played in Cardiff before with Ireland, but his seventh cap took place with a silent backdrop, with the Six Nations still deep in Covid-19 restrictions in February 2021.
The Ireland full-back has witnessed the ground at its heaving best, although he's hoping for a different result this time around.
"I was at the Ireland-Argentina game at the World Cup [in 2015], unfortunately, and the night before that at the France-New Zealand game," Keenan told RTÉ Sport.
The Leinster man was just 19 years old at the time and still five years away from an Irish Test debut, which at the time he was wasn't even on his radar.
"Definitely not. I think I was in the sub academy, playing with UCD, not even Irish U20s at that stage, it was a long time away in my mind."
Keenan made his debut at the end of the delayed 2020 championship, having bolted into contention when rugby resumed following the Covid-19 lockdown, and quickly became one of Andy Farrell's most trusted players, playing 25 times out of a possible 27, all of those starts.
And the 26-year-old says he's seen a continuous development in Ireland under Farrell in two and a half years since his first cap.
"We've been coming together nicely, building a lot of experience. When I first came in it was also the first time the likes of Caelan [Doris], Rónan Kelleher and a new batch of lads were coming in with new coaches as well, so we've learned a lot through a lot of ups and downs along the way.
"We're a pretty close group, and it's such a competitive one as well with new and fresh faces coming in each camp, pushing for places."
Ireland have progressively improved during the World Cup cycle; beating the All Blacks in 2021 was followed by a Triple Crown in the Six Nations last year. And after winning an away series against New Zealand in 2022, they followed it up with wins against world champions South Africa in November to become the No 1-ranked side in the world.
Donal Lenihan and Eddie O'Sullivan expect a reaction from Wales under Warren Gatland when they face Ireland in Saturday's Six Nations opener
And while there was silverware handed out for the Triple Crown and the series win in New Zealand, Keenan says winning a championship together as a team for the first time would be a significant milestone in their development.
"That's what we're all chasing. I've never experienced it. I know some of the lads have from the 2018 side, and we're all pretty determined to do it again and I think it's taking things one game at a time.
"That's the challenge, that's the goal the coaches are setting and we're setting for ourselves. That's what we're definitely going to be aiming for. I think we have the capabilities to, so it's just about performing individually and collectively.
"I don't think we performed to the best of our ability over those the games [in November]. I know it was still such a successful campaign with three wins, but I don't think we quite clicked in a lot of the areas.
"It was great beating South Africa, but then we slipped down in our standards against Fiji, and it wasn't the most polished performance against Australia.
"I think to go and compete in the Six Nations, and if we're talking about winning the championship, and going to Wales and beating them, we're going to have to be a lot better than the autumn," Keenan (above) added.
It's a third season in a row that Ireland will open their campaign against Wales, winning comfortably at the Aviva Stadium last year, having been beaten in Cardiff in 2021, their fourth successive Six Nations defeat in the Welsh capital.
Having gone through disastrous form in 2022, Wales sacked head coach Wayne Pivac in December, with Warren Gatland returning to take charge of the side.
And with an air of unpredictability hanging over Wales this weekend, Keenan says Ireland will be concentrating more on their own performance.
"The nature of it being the first game, a lot of it will be focused on ourselves, worrying about what we control and getting up to speed again with everything.
"I think coming over here, being together 24/7 is a great opportunity for us to get back up to speed. Wales, it's always such a challenge, we haven't won there for a few years now, It's a real tough place to go. We're not underestimating the challenge, and how important the first game will be."
Follow every game of the Guinness Six Nations on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app, or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch live television coverage of Ireland v France (11 February), Italy v Ireland (25 February) and Scotland v Ireland (12 March) on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
