IRELAND CAPTAIN DAN Sheehan wants his team to play with confidence as they kick off a big year of rugby with their Nations Championship clash against Argentina in Dublin on Friday night.

Sheehan, who will captain Ireland for the fourth time in the ongoing absence of Caelan Doris, said he has full belief in Andy Farrell’s side to deliver strong performances as they build towards the 2027 World Cup.

Ireland are ranked third in the world but have lost their games against New Zealand, South Africa, and France in the last two seasons, meaning they are not viewed as leading World Cup contenders by some commentators.

Amid the external chatter that Ireland are lagging behind those other top nations, Sheehan said it’s important that they continue to believe in themselves.

“I’ve full confidence in this group,” said Sheehan after Ireland’s captain’s run at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

“I think reminding myself and the group of the quality we have… sometimes you hear outside noise about, ‘Is this a transitioning time in Irish rugby?’ or ‘Is this a decline in Irish rugby?’ and I think it’s all nonsense really.

“Making sure we keep our confidence in what we have, the personnel we have, the coaches we have in the group, it’s all set up for us. I think it’s just doubling down on our work ethic and making sure we fully back ourselves.”

At the same time, Sheehan stressed that there is much for Ireland to improve in their game over the coming weeks and months.

Sam Illo and Ryan Baird before Ireland's captain's run. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

They hope to compete in the Nations Championship final at the end of November in London, but have work to do ahead of this run of games against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa.

“Probably across a lot of areas, to be honest,” said Sheehan on the topic of where Ireland need to get better.

“We’ve been disappointed with a fair few performances that we’ve had, especially the big opportunities we had over the summer. The Australia game, I know we scraped a win but it probably wasn’t a performance we wanted. And the same with Eden Park [against New Zealand], I think we were beaten by about 20.

“Obviously, set-piece is something we need to continue to drive. I think we have the ability in the group. You see it in the provinces, it’s a quality set piece we have and we need to make sure we drive that at international level but there’s plenty.

“Making sure we’re taking our opportunities. There are too many accuracy errors in attack and defence which at this level get punished a lot more than in the URC. We’ve a few things to tidy up but I don’t think we’re a million miles off.

“I thought the focus over the last two weeks has been great – honest feedback, honest conversations with each other about where we’re at and where we need to be. I think we can all feel we have the talent in the group, and we’re going in the right direction if we can put all of our minds together.”

Whatever comes down the line for Ireland, they’re intent on beginning this season with a bang against Argentina.

Farrell’s side had previously been known for excellent starts to campaigns but have been slower out of the blocks in recent times.

Bautista Delguy at Argentina's captain's run in UCD. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

They want to make a big impression on Friday night, although Sheehan said a hefty challenge awaits.

“For a first international of the year with a two-week lead-up, all eyes will be on this game and they’re a top-quality side that put the Lions away here only two years ago, so we know the threat they have, the passion they have for the game as well,” he said.

“We’ve put all of our focus over the last two weeks on them and making sure we prep ourselves fully. A lot of that is mental prep and to make sure we’re up for it physically.

“Hopefully we see it tomorrow because I’m sure they’ll be coming out all guns blazing, and we need to match that and take it to a different level.”