Joe Schmidt’s Ireland will attempt to go boldly where no Irish rugby has gone before this weekend: to a World Cup semi-final.

But first they must escape the massive gravitational pull of Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, where we play for the third time in a month tomorrow, this time against Argentina, in the quarters.

The hope is that Captain Schmidt’s starship will be able to use familiarity with the venue as a slingshot into orbit, via the M25 around London, and an unprecedented place in next week’s last four.

In the meantime, Irish supporters are keeping their feet on the ground.

And the presence here of fans from four countries and three continents helped us maintain a lower than usual profile last night.

It’s more like 3½ continents, in fact, because France and Ireland have drifted severely apart since last week’s game, which has left the traditional Gallic-Gaelic love affair estranged.

A consequence of Ireland’s win then is that France, still nursing 15 bruised egos, must take on New Zealand here today.

And in what has been a brutally physical tournament, it’s apt that the dominant colours then will be black and blue.

Bookmakers

But the bookmakers think we’ll win narrowly, and this was also the view of a group of fans from Galbally in Limerick who sipped pints outside a pub on St Mary’s Street.

A sole Cork man among them, Donal Looney, wasn’t surprised at Ireland’s famously good record in Cardiff – “we’re very like the Welsh” – and thought it would be extended tomorrow.

Then he was politely interrupted by an Argentinian supporter, who introduced himself as – wait for it – “Miguel Angel Camarata Mulready”.

Yes, we were told, the Mulready bit came from Ireland, via a maternal grandfather named Michael.

As for Miguel, this was his first visit to these islands, and he didn’t have much English. But he had enough to express the confidence that seems to be general among his compatriots.

Asked for a prediction, he needed only two words: “You lose.”