Joe Schmidt's Ireland side return to Soldier Field, two years on from Irish rugby's most famous win. This time the opponent is not quite at the level of the All Blacks, with Conor O'Shea's Italy in opposition. This match is the first step on a year-long road for the Irish team, with all eyes cast towards next year's World Cup in Japan.
It is a tournament that we have consistently underperformed in, and this current bunch will be hoping to buck that trend. Joe Schmidt will be hoping the players can transfer their Six Nations and club form into the November internationals, with much tougher tests against Argentina and New Zealand on the horizon. Those games will be vital in the team's preparation, and a victory over the All Blacks may be enough to hand Ireland the top spot in the world rankings.
Conor O'Shea will be hoping to lead his Italian side to their first victory over Ireland since 2013, a loss that ended the Declan Kidney era. Both sides have improved since that fateful meeting in Rome, with O'Shea making a huge impact on Italian rugby since his arrival.This meeting against a weakened Irish side may represent the perfect opportunity to get the scalp of one of the top tier nations.
Joe Schmidt will no doubt be looking at the game as an opportunity to test out some of the less-experienced youngsters in the squad, with a number of senior names not making the trip to the US. The likes of Quinn Roux and Andrew Conway will be hoping to lay down a marker in this clash, and put their hands up for a place in the team for the rest of the November Internationals.
Follow here for all the latest from Ireland's first game in what we hope is another historic season.
