South Africa may loom large on the horizon but Craig Casey knows Ireland can't afford to look beyond Tonga this weekend.
Four years ago, the team, then under head coach Joe Schmidt, opened up their World Cup campaign with a comprehensive victory over Scotland before suffering one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history, going down to hosts Japan.
Tonga, ranked 15th in the world, have never made it out of the group stages in a World Cup and were among the countries hardest hit by the pandemic restrictions between 2020 and 2021, which curtailed their development.
However, a relaxation of World Rugby’s eligibility rules, which allowed players who hadn’t played internationally for three years to declare for their country of heritage, has seen a swathe of former New Zealand and Australia players join the 'Ikale Tahi cause.
Among them is out-half William Havili, New Zealand-born and a brother of All Blacks centre David, and former Munster centre Malakai Fekitoa.
"Yeah, they’ve got really good players," said Casey, who is likely to feature on Saturday in Nantes (8pm Irish time) having missed out in the win over Romania.
"There are some serious players who have came back to Tonga that have shown their hand in previous World Cups and have a lot of experience behind them.
"We know they’re going to be physical but they have some really good ball players as well, I think Havili at 10 is a very good player, and has a very good boot, and is a very smart player as well.
"He’ll put them around the place nicely and get their big ball carriers into the game. So I know Mala very well from his time at Munster. I know how physical he can be, so we’re expecting that this weekend.
"He’s really kind of quiet guy, humble fella, really good guy to be around, always trying to help young lads get better, even old lads get better, drive standards, and bring new things into the environment that he has picked up along the way.
"He’s very 'giving back’ kind of fella, very family orientated as well I’d say, he’s just had a new child, a lovely fella to be around."
Andy Farrell will name his side on Thursday afternoon with 24-year-old Casey in the mix to make the panel, in what would be a first World Cup appearance.
"Hopefully," he replied to reporters at the team base in Tours on Tuesday afternoon when asked about getting the nod.
"There is no team named yet. There is no team named to us either.
"If I get the chance, I’m really looking forward to it, it would be great. There are a few family members who are here following the team for a few weeks. It would be unbelievable to make my World Cup debut if it happens.
"When you’re part of a squad, only 23 can play, I think going into a tournament you know you’re not going to play every minute.
"Every player knows that and you have to be ready for when an opportunity does come, and when an opportunity does come, you’ve got to take it with both hands and try and cement your place in the weekend after that.
"So everyone is kind itching to go and even the lads that played last week are itching to get back on the field so it’s a real buzz around the squad."
The Munster scrum-half also spoke about practicing dropgoals in the aftermath of George Ford’s exhibition for England against Argentina. The out-half kicked 27 points, including drop goals, in the victory.
The final rounds of the club season also saw two drop goal moments: one in which Casey fed Jack Crowley for the winning score against Leinster in the URC semi-final, and another in the Champions Cup final when Leinster failed to work an opportunity in the end stages of the 27-26 loss to La Rochelle.
He said: "There are a few scenarios that are thrown at the end of every session, that you might need to score a try if you’re four points down in the last minute, or need a penalty to win it, try and play for a penalty, or that drop goal situation.
"We’re thrown scenarios at us in training and obviously the 10s work together after and with the 9s. It’s an ongoing thing."
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