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<\/p>\nIreland will hope to end their World Cup woe in France <\/p>\n
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Sporting curses are made to be broken. The Boston Red Sox broke the \u2018curse of the Bambino\u2019 in 2004 and the Chicago Cubs ended \u2018the curse of the Billy Goat\u2019 in 2016. Although they did take 86 and 108 years respectively.<\/p>\n
And actually, despite reaching 11 GAA Football All-Ireland finals since they were put under the \u2018curse of \u201851\u2019, Mayo are still yet to reclaim the Sam Maguire Cup. In retrospect, maybe Ireland shouldn\u2019t look too closely at other hexes ahead of this Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
The fact that Ireland have never won a World Cup knockout match in their entire history \u2013 exiting at the quarter-final stage in seven of the nine editions, as well as in the quarter-final play-offs on one occasion (the 1999 World Cup was weird…) \u2013 is one of the most incredible hoodoos in sport.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s Australia (twice), France (twice), Argentina (twice), Wales or New Zealand standing in their way, the Irish simply cannot make it to the promised land of a semi-final. But surely this time is different? Surely\u2026?<\/p>\n
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This is almost unequivocally the greatest Ireland side of all-time. They\u2019ve already made history by securing a first-ever win over the All Blacks in New Zealand before going on to inflict a first home Test series defeat on their hosts since 1994, reached No 1 in the world rankings for the first time and they enter this tournament on the back of a Six Nations grand slam earlier in the year.<\/p>\n
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Ireland secured a Six Nations grand slam earlier this year <\/p>\n
Andy Farrell has created an efficient, ruthless machine in attack and a disciplined, defiant unit in defence that has beaten every one of the World Cup contenders at some point during this four-year cycle.<\/p>\n
Yet until they get over that quarter-final hump and finally smash through the psychological barrier, questions will remain. On paper, they\u2019re more than good enough to win the whole tournament, let alone get a knockout game victory, but World Cups aren\u2019t played on paper and frankly, the draw has been hugely unkind to them.<\/p>\n
Put into Pool B with fellow top-five sides South Africa and Scotland, there\u2019s a genuine chance Ireland could crash out in the group stage and if they do emerge, either the All Blacks or France on French soil await in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Even the fixture order has made things harder as, while Romania and Tonga clashes give them a chance to bed into the tournament, then beating the Springboks, Scotland and France\/New Zealand in three consecutive weeks to reach a semi-final will be a monumental physical ask. Farrell sides are always well-conditioned and they\u2019ll need to be, given how battered and bruised they\u2019ll inevitably be after that run.<\/p>\n
Keeping Johnny Sexton, 38 years old but still the team\u2019s fly half lynchpin, fit will be vital to their chances. Sexton will retire after the World Cup as perhaps Irish rugby\u2019s greatest-ever servant and if anyone deserves a deep run at the tournament, it\u2019s him.<\/p>\n
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The fitness of Johnny Sexton holds the key for Ireland <\/p>\n
Sexton\u2019s injury and concussion history is well known and the first two group games should give him a chance to knock off any ring rust \u2013 having not played for six months thanks to a groin injury and a ban for berating match officials after Leinster\u2019s Heineken Champions Cup final defeat.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s never taken long to get back up to speed in the past, so protecting him for the bigger challenges to come, where possible, may be the order of the day. Ross Byrne coped admirably when deputising during the Six Nations and Jack Crowley has impressed at club level but neither are in the same league as the ultimate fly half orchestrator Sexton. Will Johnny\u2019s last stand end in glory or heartbreak?<\/p>\n
This is a world-class Ireland squad who have become used to relentlessly winning at both club and international level. The opportunity to break the World Cup quarter-final curse has never been greater but curses can be funny things.<\/p>\n
Coach: <\/strong>Andy Farrell<\/p>\n Captain:<\/strong> Johnny Sexton<\/p>\n Key Player: Caelan Doris<\/strong> \u2013 As detailed above, the drop-off at fly half after Johnny Sexton is stark but in the interest of giving someone else a nod, Caelan Doris is probably the best of Ireland\u2019s hugely-talented back row. That\u2019s a big statement bearing in mind reigning World Rugby Player of the Year Josh van der Flier, the relentless Jack Conan and the ageless Peter O\u2019Mahony also play there but Doris\u2019 all-round game is as good as any back row in the world. His footwork, acceleration and dynamism are exceptional and unlock Ireland\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n Rising star: Mack Hansen <\/strong>\u2013 Lock Joe McCarthy has a bright future and either of hooker pair Dan Sheehan or Ronan Kelleher would also fit here but Mack Hansen is still just 25 years old and only made his international debut last year, even if he already feels like a staple. The Australia-born winger is hugely explosive in attack, a consummate finisher and the 2022 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee can really announce himself as a world-class player in France, although an unexplained absence from the matchday 23 for Ireland\u2019s opening match poses questions.<\/p>\n Big question:<\/strong> Can the best Ireland team in history finally get over their Rugby World Cup knockout mental block?<\/p>\nSquad<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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