Ireland were unfortunate to finish behind two strong outfits in England and Wales in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations.
And in two years’ time, with a corresponding fixture list, revenge will be on the menu.
With a number of young players impressing this year, the promise was clear as Joe Schmidt’s troops swept away Scotland, Italy and France in between their two crucial losses to the group leaders.
But how does their 2021 Championship fixture list shake out?
The 2019 Grand Slam Champions Wales will still be one of the teams to fear come 2021.
So what better way for Ireland to announce their credentials than a win in Cardiff on the opening weekend?
They came unstuck in the downpour on Super Saturday in 2019 and will be keen to set the record straight at a stadium where Schmidt never managed a Championship victory.
Their clash on Sunday finishes off a mouth-watering set of Round One clashes.
When will it be played?
Sunday, February 1, 15.00pm GMT
A home tie in Dublin in the second round is sure to settle the Irish nerves in a raucous Aviva Stadium.
They will take on a French side who have struggled in recent Championships but who will surely make radical changes as they seek to alter their fortunes.
In any sense, Ireland will hope to use this as a confidence boost going into the next round, and defend an unbeaten home run against Les Bleus that stretches back to 2011.
When will it be played?
Sunday, February 14, 15.00pm GMT
Ireland kick off Round Three with a testing trip to Rome to take on Italy on Saturday afternoon.
The Azzurri gave them a real scare in the 2019 Championship in the Eternal City, leading 16-12 after half-time before finally succumbing to a 26-16 defeat.
Ireland return to the Stadio Olimpico looking to continue their winning run against the Azzurri.
When will it be played?
Saturday, February 27, 14.15pm GMT
In 2019, Ireland were forced to dig very deep at BT Murrayfield before finally downing Scotland.
That loss ended Gregor Townsend’s unbeaten home record as Scotland head coach in the Championship.
So the 2021 clash is sure to be a firecracker in Round Four as both sides look to keep themselves in contention for Super Saturday.
When will it be played?
Sunday, March 14, 15.00pm GMT
The last time these two sides met on Super Saturday in Dublin was back in the 2017 Championship.
That day, Peter O’Mahony’s man of the match performance and Iain Henderson’s try earned Ireland victory that denied England a Grand Slam.
Two years later in 2019, England returned to the Aviva Stadium and emerged victorious thanks to Henry Slade’s double.
But in 2021, there could well be a Championship and maybe even a Grand Slam on the line in what is sure to be a classic clash – the second of Super Saturday after Italy head to Scotland and before France welcome Wales in the evening.
When will it be played?
Saturday, March 20, 16.45pm GMT
Fans in Ireland can watch on official host broadcaster, Virgin media. For fans in the UK, the matches will be on BBC and ITV. Fans based in France can watch on France Televisions, while supporters in Italy can watch on DMAX.
Click HERE for the full list of broadcasters
