Ireland recapture potency of 2018, but Rassie’s monsters now loom

Forty-five minutes before kick-off, Joe Schmidt and Gregor Townsend shot the breeze on the side of the pitch while their respective squads warmed up in intense humidity behind them. By their demeanour you could have mistaken this for a pre-season friendly.

Despite the outward calm, both coaches fully understood the significance of what was about to unfold over the next two hours. For the winner, not only the spoils, but control of Pool A with the potential to bypass New Zealand at the quarter-final stage.