As two journalists relayed accounts of Ireland's two-match World Cup warm-up tour to Namibia a dozen years ago, they revealed that the defeats didn't count as test matches because the IRFU were not awarding caps for those games.
This prompted the late, great Welsh rugby writer, Clem Thomas, to inquire sardonically: "Did the Namibians award caps?" No doubt they did.
Ironically, however, those 15-6 and 26-15 defeats in Windhoek were included in the official IRFU press release which announced the Ireland team to play the Namibians in Sydney's Aussie Stadium tomorrow (kick-off 8 p.m. local time, 11 a.m. Irish).
Thus one of the more obscure and anorakish little teasers about Irish rugby will soon be made redundant: "Who are the only two countries Ireland have played but never beaten? Answer: Namibia and the All Blacks."
The chance to put the second one to rights might have to wait a while, until the semi-finals or final at any rate.
There is little or no question of Ireland not putting the aforementioned Windhoek defeats to rights. It is merely a question of by how much? Or more to the point, of obtaining at the very least a bonus point for scoring four tries and shipping no injuries. Viewed against that, a cricket score isn't imperative.
That said, Australian sports odds have made Ireland the strongest favourites of the weekend, by 46.5 points.
That wouldn't sit easily with any coach, and Eddie O'Sullivan is no exception.
"We're obviously hot favourites for this game," he admits, a little uncomfortably. "There's no other way to describe it, particularly given the result between them and Argentina.
"But I think it's a test of our professionalism this week to stay focused and prepare for this Test game like any other Test game, and to give Namibia their due respect as an international nation playing in a full international Test. To do anything less would be unprofessional and it would reflect a lack of respect for Namibia.
"We will prepare for this Test like we would for any other Test game. There'll be no difference in our build-up, there'll be no more work done, nor no less work done, and there won't be a word about any other game than Namibia."
And he stressed that point in even stronger terms to the players when announcing the team line-up to them last Wednesday morning.
Talk of the anticipated margin of victory is particularly irritating for the Irish coach.
Comparisons with Argentina's 67-14 winning margin are inevitable if, in O'Sullivan's mind, odious and also irrelevant to events in Adelaide next week.
"The thing for us is to go out and key five points from this game, get a win and get our bonus point. Do a professional job, and then get on to Adelaide. But we've got to get this job done first.
"Games are different. Some games flow one way, and some games flow another way. I wouldn't be making comparisons like that. I'm sure people will but it's not for us to do. I think it's a waste of energy and a waste of time."
O'Sullivan makes the valid point that not only will the hard-, straight-running Namibians come out steaming, but Ireland mightn't be given "a gimme" of a soft try inside the first three minutes.
To which might be added that the Irish scrum (which was yesterday denied Reggie Corrigan, thus promoting Marcus Horan to loosehead and Simon Best to the bench) is unlikely to inflate the scoring with four tries, which effectively contributed 26 of the Pumas' 67 points.
Ireland are not likely to come by so many points with almost half the team taking a watching brief. They're probably going to have to work a little harder for their scores.
"I think we will have to," agreed O'Sullivan. "Pushover tries are an easy way to score if you can do it - there's not much risk involved. I don't see us bullying the Namibian pack to that extent.
"We're certainly not banking on it. I think we'll be trying to play our normal game."
Mentally, in the build-up to the Argentinian game, it might actually be no harm if Ireland didn't eclipse the Pumas' 53-point winning margin.
That said, Ireland have a more rounded scoring power than the Pumas, and not just in taking the Namibians through the phases, to create space either up the narrow side or out wide. They would also have a little more individual wit and invention.
Namibia often lost their shape defensively last Tuesday night, both out wide and up the narrow side, and like many of the weaker sides when committed to attack, they looked very vulnerable when turning over possession.
With Denis Hickie, Brian O'Driscoll and co alive to these opportunities, one could well envisage Ireland filling their boots in broken play. Also, the last two years have shown Ireland to be a fairly clinical side in the position of hot favourites. Almost undetected, they have embarked on another six-match winning run in which they have scored 31 tries - 22 in their four wins to date this season.
Somewhat enigmatically, O'Sullivan said of his back-row choice for the Argentinian game next week: "The hard thing is to pick the right three guys, and the guy on the bench to give you another dimension as well. I know what I want but I'm not sure which three guys are going to give me that best combination. Which leaves it up for grabs, which is a good place to be."
Mindful of the Pumas' tendency to focus their attack close in, and that Simon Easterby is statistically the squad's best defender, it could be that a big performance by him will force himself into the 22 to play Argentina.
Although O'Sullivan also said, "I have a similar headache at number 10", it's hard to see what O'Gara can do tomorrow to shift the incumbent, David Humphreys.
Assistant coach Declan Kidney has repeatedly made the point that no team have been so inclined to take tap penalties than the Namibians, whose scrumhalf Hakkies Husselman is seemingly given licence to do so, and snipe repeatedly as well.
Nevertheless, with conditions expected to be more favourable, Ireland have an innate professionalism about them to suggest they will complete a professional job without being distracted by events next week or notions of a big scoreline.
They might well take longer to wear the Namibians down as well, but they should have the bonus point tucked away early enough for O'Sullivan to use his bench. No injuries is the main thing.
Rugby World Cup: Pages 2-4
Previous meetings: 1991 Namibia 15 Ireland 6, Namibia 26 Ireland 15.
Last five Tests: Ireland - 45-17 v Romania, 29-10 v Scotland, 61-6 v Italy, 35-12 v Wales, 40-14 v Samoa. Namibia - 14-67 v Argentina, 82-13 v Uganda, 32-10 v Kenya, 13-40 v Samoa, 17-24 v Tunisia.
Leading try scorers: Ireland - Denis Hickie 22, Brian O'Driscoll 18, Keith Wood 15. Namibia - Melrick Africa 6, Du Preez Grobler 6, Corne Powell 5.
Leading points scorers: Ireland - David Humphreys 478, Ronan O'Gara 334. Namibia - Rudi van Vurren 109.
Betting (Paddy Powers): Handicap odds = Namibia + 63 pts - 10/11 Ireland, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Namibia.
