The attritional nature of modern day rugby means that the teams who have their sights on World Cup success must combine brawn with brilliance
Ready for action: Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and captain Johnny Sexton at a press conference in France this week ahead of Ireland's first game on Saturday It may take an inordinate amount of time from the opening games this weekend to the final in Paris on October 28th but the 2023 Rugby World Cup is certain to generate enough drama, controversy and passionate support to make the tournament seem a lot shorter than seven weeks.
Those dreams are based on solid foundations, with Ireland going into the tournament as the world’s number one ranked side, a team more to be feared than carrying any fears. The immense challenge of facing the reigning world champions South Africa in their pool and the prospect of meeting either New Zealand or France in a potential quarter-final, seem unlikely to spook a side that has beaten all three teams over the last 15 months.
This year’s thrilling Grand Slam victory bookended a victory over the Springboks last autumn and a first ever Test series win against the All Blacks in New Zealand in the summer of 2022. Those achievements underline why supporters have every reason for optimism, despite the totally lopsided World Cup draw.
The attritional nature of modern day rugby at the elite level – the sheer physicality which has led to much controversy – means that the teams who have their sights on World Cup success must combine brawn with brilliance.
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