Could Ireland Win The Rugby World Cup?
16/11/06 22:30 Filed in: Sport
I was discussing rugby with a colleague at work
today, and I posited a theory of how Ireland could
win next year's World Cup.
Madness, you might think. The All-Blacks will run away with it. Well, yes. They should run away with it.
So how could Ireland spoil the party? First of all, they need to go to the World Cup as Six Nations Champions. This will help fix their heads to win their group, a task that will involve beating France, as well as the Argies.
Whoever comes second in our group will almost certainly get the All-Blacks in the quarter-finals, and for whoever that is, it's Goodnight Irene. Whoever wins the group will most likely get Scotland. The winner of that quarter final will meet either England, South Africa, Australia or Wales in the semi. England and Wales are eminently beatable. On a good day, Ireland could get past the other two. (Don't be fooled into thinking that just because we stuffed the Springboks last weekend, that the same result would come as easy during the RWC. It won't.)
Whoever gets through this half of the draw will more than likely meet come up against New Zealand in the final.
"But we've never beaten New Zealand!" you cry. True, but the ABs are notorious World Cup chokers, and who knows what could happen on the day. They could freeze and we could nick a win. Or indeed they could be majestic and beat us 1497-3.
If anyone other than New Zealand hope to win the World Cup, they most likely will face them in the final. I think I'd prefer to meet them in the final than earlier.
Madness, you might think. The All-Blacks will run away with it. Well, yes. They should run away with it.
So how could Ireland spoil the party? First of all, they need to go to the World Cup as Six Nations Champions. This will help fix their heads to win their group, a task that will involve beating France, as well as the Argies.
Whoever comes second in our group will almost certainly get the All-Blacks in the quarter-finals, and for whoever that is, it's Goodnight Irene. Whoever wins the group will most likely get Scotland. The winner of that quarter final will meet either England, South Africa, Australia or Wales in the semi. England and Wales are eminently beatable. On a good day, Ireland could get past the other two. (Don't be fooled into thinking that just because we stuffed the Springboks last weekend, that the same result would come as easy during the RWC. It won't.)
Whoever gets through this half of the draw will more than likely meet come up against New Zealand in the final.
"But we've never beaten New Zealand!" you cry. True, but the ABs are notorious World Cup chokers, and who knows what could happen on the day. They could freeze and we could nick a win. Or indeed they could be majestic and beat us 1497-3.
If anyone other than New Zealand hope to win the World Cup, they most likely will face them in the final. I think I'd prefer to meet them in the final than earlier.