After a long 12 months of rugby, Ireland ended their season with a tour to South Africa, and were captained by number eight Caelan Doris.
After a season of highs and lows for Doris, which included success and heartbreak with Ireland and Leinster, the two-match series with South Africa was highly talked up by members of the Springboks, including manager Rassie Erasmus.
While South Africa won the World Cup in France, Ireland defeated them in the group stage, and were also winners in November 2022, in a rivalry that has become more intense every year.
For Doris, and the rest of the Ireland squad, focusing on themselves was the priority for the team.
"Generally lads don't look externally in terms of what other teams are saying too much.
"Sometimes you might not be able to avoid it in terms of WhatsApp groups or social media, but generally lads try and avoid and keep things internal and listen to our messages.
"Given how much of it was there, I think the lads were aware it was there. He (Rassie Erasmus) was probably trying to initiate the narrative and let it bother us and get into a bit and back and forward."
For Doris, it was a season of personal milestones combined with heartbreak.
The 26-year-old captained Leinster for the first time this season, and was captain of the province in their Champions Cup final against Toulouse.
Doris also lead his country for the first time in the Six Nations against Italy, and ended the season leading the team against South Africa.
While Ireland recovered for more World Cup quarter-final disappointment, it was an all too familiar story with Leinster.
It was a third successive season without silverware for Leo Cullen's side as they were defeated in the Champions Cup final by Toulouse, while the Bulls ended their chances in the URC semi-finals.
Despite repeated setbacks, Doris is confident they are going in the right direction.
"It is tricky, but as James Ryan said after our defeat to Toulouse in London, you would definitely rather be in those later stages of the cup each year and competing against the best teams and being right up there in contention this year.
"You want to be getting to those finals each year, you want to be putting yourselves in contention to lift a trophy. We obviously haven't over the last number of years, but we have been knocking on the door.
"There is still belief there that we are going to do it and that through the quality we have and the coaches we have, it will come right for us eventually.
"Hopefully when it does happen, it will fell very good."
