31 January 2012
Ireland will no doubt seek revenge over the Welsh after Warren Gatland’s men sent them out of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, beating them by 22 points to 10 in Wellington in the quarter-final stages.
Ireland have many things in their favour. Their provincial representation in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals will surely act as a good omen for Declan Kidney’s side. Munster, Leinster and Ulster all making it into the quarter-final stages and hoping for big things on Europe’s elite club stage.
The only Irish side not making it through are Connacht, but they did manage to beat defending Amlin Challenge Cup champions and top of the Aviva Premiership, Harlequins, in their first ever Heineken Cup campaign.
The only Irish side not making it through are Connacht, but they did manage to beat defending Amlin Challenge Cup champions and top of the Aviva Premiership, Harlequins, in their first ever Heineken Cup campaign.
One thing that will disappoint players and fans equally is the absence of Brian O’Driscoll. The Irish legend, who made his Six Nations debut playing for an Irish team led by the current Wales coach Warren Gatland in 2000, is injured and will be for the duration of the tournament.
Paul O’Connell will certainly come in as a capable replacement as captain to BOD. O’Connell captained the Lions in 2009 and will be in the thick of the action at second row.
However, Ireland’s lack of consistency could counter their Heineken Cup quarter-final representation as a bad omen. They have become too reliant on players like O’Driscoll, O’Gara and O’Connell, who are no doubt good players, but with the oldest squad in the tournament, they should be looking to develop the younger generation of players like Rob Kearney, Keith Earls and Tommy Bowe.
However, despite Ireland’s inconsistency, they do have an element of surprise. Last season they managed to prevent England reaching Grand Slam glory with an epic 24-8 victory over the Red Rose in their final match. They also stunned the Wallabies in the group stages in New Zealand by beating them 15-6 at Eden Park. So, Ireland are capable of the unthinkable and will look to prove themselves to critics and commentators that they are the best and with their age, will come an invaluable level of experience.
Ireland are real contenders for the championship but if Wales continue their good form, which may prove a tough task due to the large amount of injuries hampering their squad, Ireland may not succeed and France will either fail or prosper with new coach Saint-Andre, the story is the same for England with unproven Stuart Lancaster in charge.
