There has rarely been a more hotly-anticipated Autumn International than Friday night's clash between Ireland and New Zealand under the lights in Dublin. Ahead of kick-off, the Haka was unexpectedly firmly in the spotlight.
The iconic pre-match ritual from the All Blacks was questioned by England's Joe Marler before the two sides met in Twickenham last weekend, something which drew the ire of the New Zealand faithful.
Marler later clarified that he believed that the Haka only had a place in the modern game if teams met it with an equal challenge. That is what it got from the English fans in Twickenham before an All Blacks XV was met with a spine-tingling Thomond Park response later that day.
We have seen many memorable responses to the Haka down through the years - and Ireland's on Friday night has straight away gone down as another addition to that list.
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Irish team had massive response to Haka in Dublin
It is rare that we see a big test match take place on a Friday night in Dublin, and the atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium was utterly electric ahead of a rematch of last year's World Cup quarter-final.
The stadium was packed out ten minutes before kick-off, as the teams took to the pitch and the Haka took centre stage.
Much of the buildup centred on the fallout from last year's World Cup clash - specifically the bad blood between Johnny Sexton and All Black Rieko Ioane. You could scarcely have hoped for a better injection of spice on Friday evening than Ioane leading the Haka, and that is what we were treated to.
In typical fashion, the New Zealand side brought terrific intensity, with the Aviva Stadium crowd showing their appreciation for the pre-match spectacle.
However, things soon became even more dramatic.
The TV directors picked up Ireland's three New Zealand-born players stood side-by-side in the lineup as they faced the Haka, with Bundee Aki looking especially determined alongside James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park.
As the camera lingered on the trio, the Irish team began to step forward slowly, moving towards their opponents in a move akin to the iconic challenge of Donal Lenihan's Ireland team in the 1980s.
From footage captured in the stands on Lansdowne Road, it appeared as though the charge was led by Peter O'Mahony on the edge of the Ireland lineup.
By the end of the Haka, the All Blacks were almost entirely drowned out as the Aviva Stadium crowd roared their approval for Ireland's response.
Joe Marler said that the Haka only has a place if it is met with an appropriate challenge by the opposition - that is certainly what Ireland provided on Friday night.
Spine-tingling stuff in Dublin.
