Jackson indicates he has the temperament to prosper

On the face of it, a record win over a side positioned about us on the IRB rankings, scoring five tries in the process, should provide the perfect launchpad for any new national coach.

Joe Schmidt had reason to fret when he got sight of his opening assignment, given that Samoa had accounted for Wales, Scotland and Italy over the last 12 months, but it didn’t quite work out like that.

In those notable wins over Six Nations opposition, Samoa had a scrum and lineout with the capacity to produce decent ball for a quality attacking unit. Shorn of a trio of key set piece operators due to injury, they were deprived of that luxury this time out and Ireland took full advantage of their shortcomings.