The Friday night lights have been switched on for the Irish rugby team at Lansdowne Road before, but nothing in the past will compare to this week’s clash with the All Blacks at the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland’s last Friday evening match on home soil was during the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup, the competition put together at the tailend of the first Covid year, when a 32-9 victory over Wales came with an attendance of zero.
There was also one floodlit match at the old Lansdowne Road ground, in the 1999 World Cup, which produced a 44-14 win over Romania.
But a packed house to welcome New Zealand is, as fly-half Jack Crowley notes, “something really special”.
Ireland return from their training camp in Portugal on Tuesday evening ahead of the final countdown to the opening match of their Autumn Nations Series, which also sees games against Argentina, Fiji and Australia.
“A relaxing day [on Wednesday], then the captain’s run on Thursday then into the game on Friday night, which is one that we’re all massively looking forward to, seeing the support back home,” said Munster man Crowley.
“It’s been a massive buzz all year seeing the support in Ireland and that’s something we’re looking forward to seeing on Friday night.
“It’s a great game to start the four important games we have at home in this November series – one that this group is cherishing and we’re looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd again.
“Being away in the summer [in South Africa] we could still feel the support from home and the travelling support as well, but being able to play the first one on Friday night to start off the four games is something really special.”
Ireland’s most recent Friday night match was this year’s Six Nations opener in Marseille where they demolished France to begin a successful defence of their title.
Crowley gave a superbly assured performance at 10 as Ireland began life without Johnny Sexton, while man-of-the-match at the Stade Velodrome was Leinster lock Joe McCarthy, who dominated proceedings in just his third international start.
Like Crowley, McCarthy is relishing the opportunity not just to face the All Blacks, but to do in an environment that, while familiar from Leinster duty, is something different for Ireland.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “A late kickoff on a Friday night – it’ll be absolutely brewing. I’m sure people will be building up for a good while before we get to the stadium.
“I love a late Friday night game, you have the whole day to chill out and get ready for it so I’m buzzing to hopefully get that opportunity.
“I like having a bit of time to have a nap, chill out. A lot of guys don’t like having that much time but I don’t mind flaking around, getting myself right where I can take my time and get my whole routine done.”
Before the victory in Marseille, the questions surrounding the Ireland team were about their ability to shrug off the disappointment of their previous match – the quarter-final defeat to New Zealand at a World Cup Ireland entered as the number one ranked team on the planet.
Andy Farrell’s side are back atop those rankings heading into Friday’s clash with a New Zealand coming off a dramatic 24-22 victory over England on Saturday and McCarthy admits it’s difficult to keep from thinking about that devastating defeat to the All Blacks in Paris just over a year ago.
“You obviously do think back to it a bit,” he said.
“It was such a massive game and you want to put your best foot forward and make a bit of history with Ireland, but it is something that reminds you where you need to be at for those games.
“But the beast keeps rolling on in rugby, you keep going on to the next thing and don’t look too far back.
“It is something that plays on your mind, at that sort of level you have to be at your best in those big games or you won’t come away with the win.”
