Keith Earls has revealed the pivotal role one ex-Munster star played in his understanding of the New Zealand haka.
Ireland face a massive test against the All Blacks on Saturday, when the two sides once again meet in a World Cup quarter-final in Paris.
The 2019 last-eight meeting saw Ireland massacred at the hands of New Zealand, and the pain of that quarter-final defeat in Tokyo hangs over this year's quest for World Cup glory.
Other than that 2019 game, Ireland have turned the table on their southern hemisphere rivals over the past seven years, winning five of the last eight meetings since their famous first ever victory over the All Blacks in 2016.
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The fear factor was undoubtedly there for previous Irish teams when it came to facing New Zealand but, even if Saturday's match may be too close to call, there is no reason for Ireland to fear the All Blacks anymore, especially after their series victory down under last summer.
For Keith Earls and many other senior members of the Ireland squad, the 2016 victory in Soldier Field was a long time coming.
Earls appeared against the All Blacks for the first time in 2008, but there would be another six meetings between the sides before the first ever victory arrived in Chicago.
An immortal part of an All Blacks matchday is the haka and, speaking to the Irish media ahead of the quarter-final, Earls revealed how he had overcome the intimidation of the pre-match ritual with the help of ex-Munster teammate Rua Tipoki.
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Keith Earls reveals how he overcame the nerves of facing the Haka
15 November 2008; New Zealand's Piri Weepu leads his team in the Haka before the game. Guinness Autumn Internationals, Ireland v New Zealand, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE
Keith Earls has faced the haka more often than most in the Irish squad, with his first meeting with New Zealand coming all the way back in 2008 at Croke Park - but he says he only fully learned to deal with the intimidation of the haka during last summer's tour down under.
Earls says that former Munster centre Rua Tipoki - a teammate of Earls' at the time of that 2008 meeting - explained to him the role the haka plays in Maori culture, and says that the explanation helped him to better understand and deal with the "battle" cry:
I think the first time [he met the haka] was maybe 2008 in Croke Park. I think it was my second cap.
It was a surreal experience. I had grown up watching them, they had conquered the world of rugby since I was a young lad. I think it was only up until last year that we didn't really understand what the haka meant.
It can come across as quite intimidating but speaking to Rua Tipoki down in New Zealand last year, he let us know the inside of a haka and what it means, and how we can draw from our ancestors and our family as well.
It's not meant to intimidate. It's a tradition of theirs and we have to look at it, it's how they are looking at it as well, we are going into war as well as a battle. We draw on our families and stuff from that as well.
On paper, it is unlikely that Earls will be involved for Saturday's tie, but injuries may force Andy Farrell's hand.
Head coach Farrell faces an anxious wait on the fitness of both starting wings, with James Lowe and Mack Hansen both forced off during the final pool stage game against Scotland, and now have a race against time on their hands to get themselves fit for Saturday's crunch clash.
James Ryan is undoubtedly the biggest injury concern, with video footage from the aftermath of the Scotland game appearing to pick him up saying he had broken his hand.
Whether or not Keith Earls plays in Saturday's game, his experience is sure to be called on in the Ireland camp this week as they prepare for the mega task of dismantling New Zealand.
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