Will Ireland miss out on World Cup glory? There are a few reasons why they might.
The challenges that they face are different from many other teams. They haven’t been plagued with injuries. They haven’t struggled for form and along with France they have been the dominant team in world rugby since the start of 2022.
There are 3 reasons why I think they might lose out in this World Cup:
They have never reached a World Cup final – playing in the 6 Nations is challenging and touring to the southern hemisphere is challenging but the relentless pace and pressure of the World Cup is on a whole new level. They have gone to previous World Cups with strong squads but then they never come close.
The top teams will disrupt their playing pattern – the amount of planning that goes into how you play each opponent is frightening. Over the past few years, Ireland has been very effective but very repetitive in how they have played. South Africa and Scotland will be prepared for their matchups in the group stage, while France and New Zealand will also prepare with that in mind for the quarter-finals.
Their pool of death – of all the pools, pool B is the most likely to result in an upset. Most people would wonder about Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa but Tonga will be exceptionally tough! They have been bolstered by many ex-Wallabies and ex-All Blacks.
The odds are stacked against Ireland and one misstep can be the end of their World Cup dream.
If they stick to their guns, they will be exceptionally tough to beat. If they fumble, they might get knocked out.
