IRELAND’S GAMES AT the World Cup so far have been like home matches and they’re expecting something similar again in Paris tomorrow night as they face Scotland.
There are likely to be big numbers of Scottish fans in the French capital too, given how their team could still qualify for the quarter-finals, but they seem likely to be outnumbered by the Irish supporters who have been flooding in today.
“Man, no one travels like the Irish and that’s like, man, I’d say that’s fact,” said Ireland wing James Lowe at Stade de France today.
“When we played in Bordeaux and Nantes, to come to this incredible arena last week [against South Africa], it was something that you can’t really describe or put into words.
“The anthem ringing, Fields of Athenry, Zombie at the end, man, it’s amazing, honestly.
“People are saying 60,000 Irish are travelling over this weekend, and I’ll tell you what, their presence is definitely felt.
“It’s something that we are so, so happy to be on the receiving end of so many positive and influential Irish supporters.”
It will be a huge occasion for all the Irish players but even more so for back row Peter O’Mahony, who will win his 100th Ireland cap tomorrow.
Lowe and O’Mahony have been fierce rivals on the pitch when their provinces play, but after a quick joke, the Leinster wing highlighted his respect for the Munster captain.
“I could but we’d have to turn the TV cameras off,” said Lowe with a smile when asked to recall his first impression of O’Mahony.
“He’s a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and he deserves all the praise he’s got this week. To play 100 caps for your country is obviously a huge achievement and the way he’s gone about his work is second to none.
“He’s grown into a very, very great leader and one of the best I’ve definitely come across. He’s emotional, he backs up his words with actions.
“You can think of many, many games that he’s been involved in where he’s had huge moments that have affected the outcome. He’s definitely the sort of guy that you hate to play against but love to have on your team.”
Ireland are currently on a 16-game winning streak and they’ve beaten Scotland the last eight times they’ve played.
While Lowe says those records give them belief, they know they have to keep getting better in this World Cup. He certainly disagreed that Ireland feel invincible.
“Obviously, it does give us confidence in what we’ve done over the last three to four years in terms of what we’ve built,” said Lowe.
“We know what works but like I said earlier, even in wins there’s still things to learn. Invincible? I wouldn’t go anywhere near that word. Complacency is something that can’t creep into this group as well and it doesn’t.
“Each week, there’s more than just the 23 that could easily play and do a job for this side, seamlessly fitting into position. Complacency is something that won’t be coming into this side. We understand the serious threats and we’ve respected every opposition that we’ve played so far in this competition.
“We’re just as diligent with Scotland as we were with South Africa, Romania, and Tonga.”
The Ireland wing has continued to impress with his attacking contributions and his kicking game, but it’s been notable how many of his biggest moments these days are coming in defence.
Early on in his Ireland career, Lowe had a steep learning curve on the defensive side of the game but now he’s delivering breakdown turnovers and choke tackles on huge men like Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth.
“Look, I pretty much fell into a position where I had to make a tackle and that was the end product,” said Lowe of the tackle on Etzebeth.
“Josh [van der Flier] had the brunt of him there. But it’s funny how the world works and it probably proves that if you work on something long enough, the fruits of the labour will come through.
“I’m happy with where I am defensively, but it’s a complete different beast tomorrow. A 10 who likes to play wide, a 12 and 13 who take the ball to the line, then two wingers who are exceptional, and a fullback who plays on an axis with Finn [Russell].
“So it’s going to be another challenge but something we’re definitely looking forward to.”
