The longer Scotland keep the game close, the more confident they will become as they look to take advantage of Ireland's poorer second half performances.
A series victory in New Zealand is an extraordinary achievement in its own right but there is another prize at stake and now is the time for Andy Farrell to experiment.
The critic's of Ireland's performance at Twickenham are ignoring how hard it can be to play against 14 men but Andy Farrell's side still didn't learn lessons from the Italy game.
The Ireland head coach is shaping a new era for his team. Backing his own instincts and his players' ingenuity, he is letting go of the past.
Ireland's triumph over the All Blacks was based on a more expansive style of play but at its heart it was an ability to stay calm which can be truly encouraging as Andy Farrell's side face even bigger challenges over the next two years.
Ireland's performance against Japan was radically different to the first two years under Andy Farrell and the Joe Schmidt era but at this delicate stage of development, a heavy defeat against New Zealand would be a killer blow.
The All Blacks coach Ian Foster has his detractors. They have been silenced by his team's performances in recent months but the big tests are to come, their former coach Steve Hansen tells New Zealand journalist Robert van Royen.
Ireland aren't bad enough to give out about or good enough to get excited about so where does Andy Farrell go from here?
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