Why Ireland can win the Rugby World Cup?
Ireland’s Rugby Union team is arguably at the strongest it has ever been, in terms of both quality and depth. The 2023 World Cup in France represents a genuine chance for the Irishmen to claim world champion status.
Ireland have never made it past the quarter-finals of the World Cup in nine attempts, but there are several reasons that they could go all of the way and achieve the ultimate glory in October.
Top-ranked nation in the world
Many avid fans will claim that the likes of New Zealand and South Africa will be almost impossible for Ireland to stop. However, in the most recent rankings update, the Irish team has maintained their number-one spot in the world rankings. Objectively, according to their performances this calendar year, Ireland is the leading rugby nation on the planet.
Ireland’s ongoing number one position in the rankings is largely a product of their Six Nations triumph with reigning World champions South Africa narrowly trailing them in second place. The Irishmen won the competition for the first time since 2018 and also secured a Grand Slam in the process – for beating all of their five opponents during the tournament.
Despite their incredible performances and No.1 ranking, online rugby betting has South Africa as the betting favourites. Whilst beating the Springboks won’t be easy, they are offered at 9/2 to lift the trophy in France and are looking to cause an upset. A betting calculator is available this year to assist with translating odds from any market into a variety of formats.
Incredible support at home and on the road! 🫶#TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/cijf0CFEgr
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 9, 2023
The Six Nations’ holders also recorded a routine victory in a World Cup warm-up against Samoa, but their opening game of the actual competition was much more impressive. Ireland beat Romania 82-8 to open their pool and perhaps set the tone for how the rest of their tournament could pan out.
Ireland are led by Johnny Sexton
There are not many greater leaders in Rugby Union than Johnny Sexton. The Irish captain is a serial winner within the sport, and his experience is unmatched in comparison to the vast majority of opposition players at the World Cup.
Sexton has pioneered the greatest period in Irish rugby history. His experience and know-how of how to navigate the toughest games will provide an invaluable level of influence to his international teammates.
“He empowers everyone.”
“He drives such a high standard.”
Caelan Doris speaks about how Johnny Sexton is driving the standards within the Ireland camp.
🎙 <a Sexton’s individual ability is also remarkable, he is the record all-time World Cup point scorer for Ireland with 102 points so far. He undoubtedly elevates the quality of the players around him, but he is far from one-dimensional – he is Ireland’s standout individual star who also happens to be their most influential leader.
Strong omens against tournament rivals
Ireland’s greatest competitors in this year’s World Cup are New Zealand, South Africa and France. The last time the Wolfhounds faced each of those teams they emerged victorious, which could provide perfect omens ahead of the latter stages of the 2023 event. They comfortably defeated France in the Six Nations earlier this year 32-19 and they could be paired against their European rivals in the quarter-finals. If there are no surprising upsets, then New Zealand could potentially await in the semi-final, whom they most recently dispatched 29-20 in 2021.
The other huge contender is South Africa, who reside alongside Ireland in Group B. This means that if both progress they could potentially meet in the final for a tournament rematch. Ireland beat South Africa 19-16 in November of 2022 – and the squads have barely changed since then. Ultimately, Ireland’s number one world ranking backs up their World Cup credentials. They also have an incredible leader in Sexton, and their recent form against their biggest tournament rivals will fill them with the confidence that they can become World Champions in France.
