KEY POINTS:
The Irish can lay dibs to being the Celtic Kings. The Scots clearly can't and the Welsh, with two Grand Slams in the last two years, will say they are the heavyweights of the Magners' alliance.
Ireland has been swept along in an economic boom for much of
the past decade and rugby struck while the iron was hot.
When the cash was rolling in, the Irish provinces built development programmes. They had successful age-grade teams but struggled to convert under-21 success into test victories. Too many players fell through the gaps.
The gaps were plugged and serious cash spent bringing the big names home. There was also the smart move of having the Irish Government extend to professional players the same tax breaks jockeys enjoyed.
As a result, the decade has been good. Ireland won consecutive Triple Crowns between 2002-2004 and had it all over England in that period.
Munster have won two Heineken Cups and are the side everyone fears while Leinster are finally delivering. Their squad includes Brian O'Driscoll, Rocky Elsom,
Filipe Contepomi, Isa Nacewa, Gordon D'Arcy and Shane Horgan. They stung Wasps in their last Heineken Cup game and they are running hot.
Ireland have a consistency of achievement Wales can't match. But there is also a history of coming up short that is starting to feel as if it may never be broken.
For every victory the Irish test side posted, they have blown a bigger game. They remain a side who, when it really, really matters, can't close the deal.
Remember 2001 when they had the All Blacks scrambling. They should have secured that elusive first win. Instead, a poor pass and a bad refereeing call went against them near halftime and they failed to drive in the final nail. If the pass had stuck, Ireland would have reached the final quarter 26, maybe 28-7 ahead and there would have been no way back for the All Blacks.
It was the same in 2006, when on consecutive weeks they had their chance. The All Blacks were mucking around, playing two different teams in two different tests, and they couldn't settle.
O'Driscoll ghosted past Ma'a Nonu in the first test to set them up nicely, only to let Troy Flavell and Luke McAlister steer the All Black ship back to safe waters.
The same happened in Auckland a week later as it did this year in Wellington. It was 11-all with 15 minutes to go and it came down to next score is the winner. Ireland just didn't believe they could do it.
The need to finish, to take opportunities and to realise the All Blacks are beatable will be the
Irish theme all week. They know how to compete. They have a good lineout, a first five who can boot them where they need to be and a backline that can be slick if it finds a rhythm early.
They lack conviction and no matter how much they talk about it chances are they will still lack it come Sunday morning (NZT).
They have enough belief to defeat England and occasionally France; and even managed rare November victories against Australia and South Africa.
But the All Blacks have been a bridge too far. The Irish just can't cross that mental divide from brave loser to gallant winner.
Will this game be different? Unlikely. The Irish will be organised and combative. With O'Driscoll coming back into form, they will flow. It will be enough to put some real heat on the All Blacks, but come the final 10 minutes, history says they will make a mistake or blow a golden opportunity.
Stick your money on history being repeated.
