Former Ulster and Ireland out-half David Humphreys looks ahead to the Rugby World Cup and challenges facing Andy Farrell's hopeful Ireland side.
- History hanging over Ireland
The burden of Rugby World Cup history has cast a shadow over many great Irish rugby teams and 2023 has been no different.
The top ranked team in world rugby, Grand Slam winners and on a winning run of 13 games leading into today's tie in Bordeaux, preparation for the tournament couldn’t have been any better and expectations and excitement amongst players and supporters are higher than ever.
As an Irish player, after a long build up to the World Cup, there will be a huge sense of relief to get the matches started and while Romania won’t pose any real challenges, the first game can often set the tone for the rest of the competition.
It isn’t about putting up a huge score against Romania, but more about the intensity, accuracy and quality of performance that Andy Farrell has brought to this Ireland squad.
The main threat today will be managing the heat, temperatures are forecast to hit high 30s around kick-off (2.30pm Irish time), and due to the high-intensity nature of Ireland’s style of play the conditions will be a physical challenge.
- Return of the man
There has been plenty written about the return of Johnny Sexton and everyone knows the fitness and form of the captain is absolutely key to Ireland’s success in this tournament.
It will have been a very frustrating few months for him and while a lack of game time would have been a concern for many players, Johnny has plenty of experience in adapting quickly to the pace of international rugby.
While it’s a really tough pool, the fixtures have fallen kindly for Ireland and selection over the next two weeks will ensure that Johnny’s game time is managed to give him the best chance to lead and inspire the team in the key games against South Africa and Scotland.
- Squad depth crucial to hopes
For many of the countries at this World Cup, team selection will be an emotive issue for supporters and the media. By contrast, Ireland have a pretty settled match-day 23 and Andy Farrell has set the tone for the first game by selecting a strong team.
It will be very interesting to watch how Andy manages selection over the course of the pool games. With a week’s rest after the South Africa match, I’m sure there’s temptation to play the strongest team for the first three matches, as you would in the Six Nations, to bring cohesion and consistency.
However, this Ireland squad know each other so well it’s more likely Andy will use the first two matches to give the majority of squad game time in preparation for the latter stages of the competition.
Injuries will play their part in the selection process, but a big reason for Ireland coming into the competition as one of the favourites is the depth and quality of their 33-man squad.
What an occasion to kick off the Rugby World Cup last night!
It wasn’t always the high quality we have become used to when watching France and New Zealand, but Les Bleus showed why they will be so difficult to beat at home and why Ireland might want to avoid them for as long as possible.
It’s going to be a very exciting few weeks.
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