Tadhg Beirne believes that the current Ireland side can create their own “little bit of history” against New Zealand in Chicago next week.
Ireland will return to Soldier Field to take on the All Blacks on Saturday, 1 November in a repeat of the famous win in 2016.
That win in Chicago was the first time Ireland had defeated New Zealand in 29 attempts across 111 years and Beirne, who had just joined Welsh side Scarlets, has his own memories of the game fresh in his mind.
“I was sitting around watching the game with my mates and having a drink,” Munster second row Beirne said.
“I was nowhere near this team back then, I just remember being a proper Irish fan that day and being really excited about the game and watching it, screaming at the TV and loving every minute of it.”
British and Irish Lion Beirne won the first of his 61 Ireland caps two years after that win, and he is relishing the chance to beat the All Blacks on American soil.
“It’s a very cool stadium and has very good memories for a lot of Irish people, so getting to be part of that would be pretty special,” the Munster lock said.
“It is going to be an incredible occasion. It is not too often you get to go somewhere like America to play a rugby game, especially against a team like New Zealand so if we come away with a win it would be a special game.”
Beirne believes that victory nine years ago helped future Irish sides by dispelling the air of invincibility around the All-Blacks. Ireland have since won four more games between the sides and the 32-year-old is convinced history will repeat itself next week.
“Ireland were knocking on the door for such a long time to try and beat the All Blacks,” said Beirne.
“There was that perception that they are a little bit unbeatable and that put a little crack on it for future Irish teams going forward.
“I have been lucky enough to be involved in a few Irish teams that have beaten them, and I think we have confidence from over the last couple of years that we are more than capable of beating them, and it will be no different in Chicago.”
