It’ll all be Graand in Munster
DAVID NUCIFORA insists that Ireland’s minimum World Cup ambition must be to make a first-ever semi-final.
The IRFU’S performance director is blunt about what the requirement is for success in Joe Schmidt’s last tournament in charge as Ireland look to break through their quarter-final glass ceiling in Japan.
Nucifora said: “We’ve got to do better than we’ve done before, that’s the starting point, isn’t it?
“We’ve got to get to a semi-final – and obviously we want to go further than that if we can. But I think we’d be kidding ourselves if we thought that anything worse than a semi-final is going to be good for us.
“So we’ve got to get there. Hopefully we get the bounce of the ball or a bit of luck from the injury gods along the way.
“But we’ve tried to do everything we can do to prepare. Like any high level competition, you do need an element of luck along the way.
“We feel that we’ve prepared really, really well and that we’ll be in a good position to deliver a really good performance.”
Nucifora added that the departing Schmidt’s record “speaks for itself” but he is confident that Ireland won’t fall away when Andy Farrell succeeds the Kiwi after the World.
“It’ll be different, and all the things that he’s done and left behind are not going to be lost, and that’s what we’ve really focused on,” said the Aussie.
“We’ve focused on how do we on build on this and we’re really confident that Andy is going to be able to build on what Joe has done.
“Now, Andy’s a different man to Joe and he’s going to do it a different way.
“One of the reasons that we recruited Andy was because we believe in him as a coach and as a person.
“But Andy was super-keen to come here all those years ago because he wanted to work with Joe.
“He feels that he’s a far better coach for the time he’s had with Joe.
“He’s going to be put to the test when he takes over post the World Cup.
“But Joe is in Joe mode at the moment. He’s so focused for this World Cup and the preparation that they’re about to go into – and there’s no other thought in the minds of those coaches other than what’s in front of them.” JOHANN VAN GRAAN has been backed to turn things around at Munster despite the province suffered a series of heavy blows.
It has been eight years since the Reds lifted a trophy and, after a second year on the spin of losing in the Champions Cup and PRO14 semis, Munster are facing into an uncertain summer.
But IRFU performance director David Nucifora claims the shock departure of Jerry Flannery and Felix Jones from the coaching ticket is an opportunity for the club to rebuild and add some vital experience.
Stephen Larkham, Graham Rowntree and
Rob Howley are among the names linked with a move to the province.
“It would be preferable if it (Flannery and Jones leaving) didn’t happen,” said Nucifora.
“But things are reasonably well under control down there, with regards to where we’re going to move.
“Everyone’s been fairly proactive with it and there’s some good conversations happening at the moment.
“We’re in touch daily at the moment with Johann and others down there and I think things are heading in the right direction.
“It was always identified down there a fair way out that they needed some extra coaching experience in the group.”