If you're Irish, I bet you are thinking that the results are already in for the Rugby World Cup 2023, given the form of the Irish in 2022.
Only Les Blues could beat the Irish in the 2022 Six Nations which saw the Irish take second place. The 2022 Summer Internationals saw the Irish go down to the Maori All Blacks in their warm-up game 32-17. This was a devasting result for the Irish, who went down in the next match to the All Blacks 42 – 19. The Irish came back with a vengeance, beating the Maori All Blacks in a reply and then going on to two wins against the All Blacks to win their series two to one.
Currently, Ireland are in first place with regard to the world rankings. This must be a clear indicator of the possibility that Ireland can win the Rugby World Cup 2023.
Current Mens Rugby World Rankings
|
1 |
(1) |
Ireland |
90.03 |
||
|
2 |
(2) |
France |
89.41 |
||
|
3 |
(3) |
South Africa |
87.78 |
||
|
4 |
(4) |
New Zealand |
87.76 |
||
|
5 |
(5) |
England |
86.25 |
||
|
6 |
(6) |
Scotland |
81.93 |
||
|
7 |
(7) |
Australia |
81.65 |
||
|
8 |
(8) |
Wales |
81.28 |
||
|
9 |
(9) |
Argentina |
80.97 |
||
|
10 |
(10) |
Japan |
77.74 |
Johnny Sexton is Ireland's talisman, and with him, they achieve remarkable things; without him they seem to fall apart. At 37, he is no spring chicken, and he is very prone to injury. Can they keep him fit for the World Cup?
In recent internet polls, Ireland's Coach, Andy Farrell has been voted the number-one coach in world rugby. With the best team in the world, the best coach, and the luck of the Irish with their talisman, surely this the World Cup is a shoo-in for Ireland?
The pundits are saying otherwise. They have France as 5/2 favourites, given their form and that the fact they are hosting the World Cup in France. New Zealand are second favourites at 3/1, with England, South Africa, and Ireland all equal at 5/1.
Let me play devil’s advocate. There are three things that will influence Ireland winning the world cup:
Their history shows that Ireland in past World Cups have at best got to the quarter-final stages seven times out of nine attempts (1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2019). In this World Cup, it will be vitally important to come top of pool B if they are to progress and win the world cup. In the opening match, they play current World Cup holders, South Africa. If they come second in pool B, they will face France, and I believe that would be game-over for Ireland.
Ireland have the players, the coach, and the ranking; so what is it that stops them winning the World Cup? There could be something wrong with Ireland's psychological approach to World Cup tournaments if they are always exiting stage right. You could argue that there is something deeply embedded in the culture of Irish rugby that is preventing Ireland from performing at their best on the world’s most important stage.
Freud once stated that 'This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever.' Perhaps Freud thought this was due to the Irish having too much pride to be introspective, but whatever the reason, it is something which is holding back the team, given that today's rugby is about analysis, analysis, analysis. Numerous coaches have tried to introduce more of a psychological component to their game, but all have failed to date. The Irish seem to be a mass of contradictions, impervious to the rational thought processes that might resolve them.
You could also look at Johnny Sexton as a liability. While he is certainly a strength to the team when he is able to play, should he get injured, the Irish may find themselves in hot water. They seem to lack depth for his position, so if he goes, the luck of the Irish may go too.
Ireland are all about winning in the short term, which has so far been a recipe for success. This attitude, however, has stopped new blood coming through the ranks. They need to start encouraging new talent who can take over from the old guard. This would mean taking a hit in the short term, a few losses in friendly matches being inevitable, but then this would seem a relatively small price to pay to secure their future. It is not going to happen though. Ireland do not believe they are broken so they are not going to fix it.
Could Ireland win the 2023 Rugby World Cup? Of course it is possible, but I believe they are too entrenched in their own ways to do what is necessary to secure the Webb Ellis trophy. It would be great for the Rugby World Cup Betting fans to watch the men in green grab the ultimate glory, but I think just like the odds over at betinireland.ie that the likes of France or South Africa are more likely to come away from the World Cup with smiles on their faces.
