THERE’S A VERY good reason that no Irish fan got overly excited about the ascent to third in the rugby world rankings in November.
Ireland knows its place.
Not because of some ingrained inferiority complex, but because over the course of 27 over so years we have seen the order form itself after a four-year cycle.
In 2011, Ireland progressed as pool winners to the Rugby World Cup quarter-final. ‘Wales’, we thought. ‘now there’s a side we can definitely beat!’ 10 – 3 down at half-time in Wellington, it didn’t matter that it went 10 – 10 after 45 minutes. Ireland were already unravelling.
2007? Don’t ask.
2003, when TheScore.ie was still but a twinkle in our eye, I woke up on the couch to find I had slept through the 27-point shitstorm that had rained all over Ireland’s hope. In fact, there has probably only been one occasion when Ireland have done themselves justice in the last eight of the World Cup, when Australia came to Lansdowne Road in 1991.
It’s a roll of disappointment that just sticks in the craw for Irish rugby fans. England have won the thing and been in three finals. France have only once failed to make the final four. Wales have been to two semis, even Scotland have staked a claim as one of the last four teams standing.
Yet never Ireland.
This year, my hope is that things will be different, and that Ireland unleash their inner Gordon Hamilton when the pool stages are done and dusted.
If Joe Schmidt’s side can avoid the fate of the teams from ’99 and ’07 and progress then he will likely face down either New Zealand or Argentina. Having the Millennium Stadium already ear-marked as the venue if we do in fact make it out of the pool helps. The big house in Cardiff ought to feel like a second home for many Irish players as it has been the scene for so much success.
It’s just a matter of doing it when it counts now.
