Ireland take on France next Saturday in what will nearly certainly be the defining game of this year's Six Nations.
Aside from their bid for a history-making third successive Six Nations, Irish rugby will also be bidding farewell to three of their greatest servants; Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony and Cian Healy, who are all set to appear in front of their home crowd for the final time before their retirement from international rugby.
While all three men will retire together, it would be an understatement to say they've each earned their own swansong in Dublin's Aviva Stadium.
Healy is both the most capped Irish (136) and Leinster (237) player in history. In addition to his 136 Irish caps and five Six Nations, Conor Murray has the distinguished achievement of making test appearances on three separate Lions Tours.
Peter O'Mahony has captained both his native province and country and will go down as one of the true greats of Irish rugby, having embodied the very spirit of the sport in this country for well over a decade.
16 March 2024; Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony, right, and Conor Murray after the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
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Donncha O'Callaghan hails the manner of Irish trio's departure
Reacting to the shock news, Munster legend Donncha O'Callaghan praised the Ireland legends for the manner in which they were leaving Ireland, and the legacy it would leave for young players like Sam Prendergast coming through the ranks.
O'Callaghan was appearing on BBC Rugby Union Weekly when he made the remarks and praised the decision of Healy, Murray and O'Mahony to forgo their hard-earned individual swansongs in the name of team culture.
The awareness of maybe EGO, they're all over 100 caps, they could want their moment, but to actually show how tight they are as a group and to walk out the door together.
Everyone of them deserves the brilliant ovation and of course they'll get all that but you'd think they'd want the curtain call one-by-one. They don't, they're different.
If you're trying to grow a culture, or if you're trying to embody what we're about and you're saying that...it's actions matter. If you're a young Sam Prendergast coming into your first Six Nations and you're hearing no one is bigger than the team, it's all about the team, and then you see moments like that where none of them look for that ego flex and they all have it together, then from a very young age you learn that, you learn what it's like to be a decent teammate.
They do deserve to break them down, they really do, like what they've all done within the game, but I think it's the humility of them all to say 'I know it seems crazy but it's not about us its about the collective' and I just think that's under Farrell which has been incredible.
While it may be their last time donning the green in Dublin, the three stars look set to go out on their own terms - continuing to play a key role in Ireland's Six Nations history-making bid.
It won't stop there for Healy either, who will also be bidding to add another star to his Leinster jersey as they try to keep their unbeaten run rolling and finally rid their final woes with a Champions Cup victory.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms for Murray who like so many of his former Munster teammates will look to finish his career away from these shores.
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