How do you follow that?
Ireland's win over New Zealand last Monday morning shook the rugby world but now they have to follow it up when they take on Canada in round two of the WXV1 in Vancouver tonight (11.45pm, live match tracker on rte.ie/sport).
For the second week running, Scott Bemand’s side face the world’s second ranked team with the Maple Leafs switching places with the Black Ferns, thanks to their impressive 46-24 seven-try win over France.
That’s a Les Bleues side that handed Ireland a comprehensive 38-17 defeat in the Six Nations, but the Irish have come a long way since then.
They are up to sixth on the World Rugby ladder but it’s the rise in confidence and belief that has stood out across the victories over Australia and New Zealand.
While they beat Scotland before that, back in the Six Nations, that was a nervy win and a malfunctioning lineout which nearly cost them dearly on the day.
They lost seven of their own throws then but it’s an area that has vastly improved in the most recent games with just three of 13 lost against the world champions.
The skill level has improved significantly across the board and there is real cohesion on and off the ball.
The boost from the bench has also been notable; against Australia four of the Sevens internationals came on and saw the team home, while Erin King, on just her second cap, scored twice after coming on against New Zealand.
The 20-year-old starts this evening with captain Edel McMahon ruled out after picking up a training-ground injury.
Hooker Clíodhna Moloney gets her first start since coming back into the squad in the middle of the Six Nations, with Neve Jones, a try-scorer last week, on the bench.
Eve Higgins takes the place of Aoife Dalton at centre, while Emily Lane comes in for Molly Scuffil-McCabe
Ireland will have a first-time captain in Enya Breen, who takes the armband in the absence of McMahon.
Props Niamh O’Dowd and Linda Djougang are play-making and ball-carrying like back rows and those contributions mean the "young talented back row" Aoife Wafer can pick and choose runs and keep the opposition on their toes no matter the phase.
Stacey Flood looked assured at full-back and alongside Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Eimear Considine form a dependable and dangerous back-three, while Dannah O'Brien's boot is keeping Ireland in the right areas of the pitch.
"We want to keep momentum going and be a bit better again this week," said Bemand after making five changes. "Character and performance will keep this moving forward."
Canada, meanwhile, have no shortage of firepower available as they look to extend their winning run to six games.
Winger Fancy Bermudez is a powerful runner and scored two fine tries last weekend and she brings "joy, tries and winning," according to head coach Kevin Rouet, whose side operate on a semi-professional basis.
They make five changes to the team from last weekend with five of their silver-medal Olympic Sevens squad in the 23. Double-try scoring lock Laetitia Royer starts on the bench, with Caroline Crossley, Alex Ellis, Courtney Holtkamp, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry all coming in.
Prior to the win over France, they had won the Pacific Four Series, which included victories over USA, Australia and New Zealand. They like to mix up their play, with four of last week's tries coming from the backs and three from the pack.
Captain Tyson Beukeboom (above), winning her 70th cap and a member of the 2014 World Cup squad that lost in the final to New Zealand, added: "We are flying high for sure, we are playing exciting rugby. With the way we are playing we have so much room for improvement and the sky's the limit."
She plays at Ealing Trailfinders, the club where Ireland's Shannon Ikahihifo, Andrea Stock and Grace Moore play.
Hooker Emily Tuttosi and full-back Perry are at Exeter, as is Ireland's Moloney, Dorothy Wall and the injured McMahon.
Ireland are spending less time worrying about opposition and more time focussing on themselves these days.
They weren't perfect against New Zealand but got so much right in attack and defence, and stayed composed when the time came to strike for the winner.
It's a meeting of two form teams but if Ireland can reach the heights they did against the World Cup winners there's no reason they can't double up.
Verdict: Ireland
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Eimear Considine, Eve Higgins, Enya Breen (capt), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Dannah O'Brien, Emily Lane; Niamh O'Dowd, Clíodhna Moloney, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Fiona Tuite; Erin King, Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Neve Jones, Siobhán McCarthy, Andrea Stock, Grace Moore, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Molly Scuffil-McCabe, Nicole Fowley, Aoife Dalton.
Canada: Taylor Perry; Fancy Bermudez, Shoshanah Seumanutafa, Alexandra Tessier, Alysha Corrigan; Claire Gallagher, Justine Pelletier; Brittany Kassil, Emily Tuttosi, Alexandria Ellis; Tyson Beukeboom (capt), Courtney Holtkamp; Pamphinette Buisa, Caroline Crossley, Gabrielle Senft.
Replacements: Sara Cline, McKinley Hunt, Rori Wood, Laetitia Royer, Fabiola Forteza, Julia Omokhuale, Olivia Apps, Julia Schell.
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
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