Irish rugby is rightly on a high at the moment.
The series win in New Zealand is a momentous occasion. Prior to this summer, Ireland had never even won a game on Kiwi soil. Now, they will return home having secured the first test series victory for an away side in the country since 1994.
It is an outcome few would have predicted before the tour, but this team look like an incredibly well-oiled machine at the moment. They are stern in defence and full of flair in attack, a mix that Irish teams have rarely got right in the past. What's more, their exploits over the last two weeks mean they now sit top of the world rankings.
𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘! 😍#TeamOfUs | #NZvIRE pic.twitter.com/tc9zdH0ruZ
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 16, 2022
Dylan Hartley sends warning to Ireland
Of course, some will be worrying that all of this is just a matter of history repeating itself.
Ireland have made a habit of hitting their peak performance levels in the middle of a World Cup cycle, only to then go on and disappoint on the biggest stage. With the next edition of that event not taking place until the tail end of 2023, maintaining these levels of a performance over such a period could prove to be a challenge.
Andy Farrell's men were not the only northern hemisphere nation to secure a series victory today, with England also defeating Australia to ensure they came out on top in that one.
The English performance level was not quite as impressive as Ireland, while the level of opposition was also of a lower quality. In saying that, it was still quite the achievement.
Speaking on Sky Sports after that game, former England hooker Dylan Hartley said that his old team still have plenty of work to do before next year's World Cup. He also sent a warning to Ireland about the challenge of continuing their current form until that tournament.
If you think about a team's progression to the final destination - what is, ultimately, winning a World Cup - England are not there. You look at Ireland and they are firing on all cylinders.
If you're an Irish supporter, enjoy today, but just hope that they can maintain that title of number one for another year, and still get better.
Andy Farrell will certainly be well aware of the challenge that lays ahead, but considering the age profile for many in this team, he will confident that Ireland's current success can be sustained.
For now, they will be enjoying the celebrations after this historic achievement.
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