If the match between New Zealand and South Africa is anything to go by, Ireland fans should be afraid. Very afraid.
On 5th November the mercilessly destructive All Blacks machine will face Ireland at Soldier Field in Chicago, and it will take a performance of Herculean proportions from the Irish to stay within touching distance of them. Because New Zealand look absolutely unbeatable.
The All Blacks have won seventeen games in row now and have in that period made all of the other top teams in the world - Australia, South Africa, Argentina, France - look at times like flapping, uncoordinated pub teams. So one can perhaps be forgiven for allowing oneself a small shudder at the thought of just what might happen when the Irish side face up to the Haka.
Dan Carter, the greatest fly-half of his generation - and, perhaps, in the history of the game - has been seemingly seamlessly replaced by Beauden Barrett, and this transition typifies New Zealand's continued rise despite the retirements of other legendary figures like Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu.
And they continued their scarily good form with an absolute hammering of South Africa in Durban. New Zealand scored nine tries to win out by 57 points to 15.
South Africa were only three points behind at half-time but you would wonder if that was really just New Zealand in the throes of boredom. When you're that good, it must stop being fun after a while.
