Ronan O'Gara: This isn’t about spite. It's about whose rugby is better, Ireland’s or New Zealand’s

Dublin might, only might, be the most significant challenge for New Zealand on this tour. But Scott Robertson knows the next autumn series that really matters to him is in 2027 in Australia.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Scott Barrett speaks to media after a New Zealand Rugby captain's run at the UCD Bowl in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Here's one way of looking at it. Ireland went from creating history by winning a test series in New Zealand last summer 12 months to coming up short to the same opposition on neutral soil a year ago.

In itself, that may not seem to convey a whole lot, so here’s another way of looking at it: would you rather win a summer series or a World Cup quarter-final?