Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
IRELAND MUST GO TO THE FUTURE
Good start could lead all the way to proper 2023 Rugby World Cup tilt
There is a thirst for this 2022 Six Nations, and it seems unquenchable, a tonic for sports lovers everywhere.
The idea that Ireland will showcase a thrilling side on an upward curve off the back of a brilliant November, is irresistible.
This mix, suggests Rob Kearney, has set the scene for one of the most anticipated, exciting, giddy, Six Nations ever.
Ireland could win this, could get themselves ready for a realistic 2023 Rugby World
Cup tilt.
The first-up trick for the boys in green, though, hasn’t changed — win the first game and see where the momentum takes all the planning, preparation and hard work.
“It is going to be a most exciting tournament, a lot of that is because people are just desperate for live sport again,” insists former Ireland fullback Kearney.
“Sport is something people really missed because it’s just not the same when you’re at home on your couch supporting the team with an empty stadium there.
“And this Six Nations is the first tournament across major international sport that has fallen where we can have full crowds again.”
Form
Taking November and the manner of Ireland’s wins over Japan, New Zealand and Argentina, this is a team coming in with very impressive form.
“I’ve been really impressed with how Ireland have gone over the last few months, that nine-point win over the All Blacks was simply brilliant, the performance suggested the margin could have been higher.
“There is a new group, players such as Hugo Keenan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Caelan Doris and Ronan Kelleher are nailed-on first-fifteen and they were not at the last Rugby World Cup.
“At the same time, I a m looking forward to seeing Johnny Sexton at the age of 36 in the championship and to see him still going strong.
“It is a new group of coaches, Andy Farrell has come out of Joe Schmidt’s shadow and is very much his own man, Paul O’Connell is there and they are defining their identity a little bit more.
“When you throw in a deserving, comprehensive, victory over the All Blacks last November it leaves people a lot to be excited about.”
Ireland open their 2022
Six Nations campaign today against reigning champions Wales — a game they lost 1621 in Cardiff last season with Peter O’Mahony red-carded after just 13 minutes.
“I can’t see anything but an
Ireland win, the Welsh are not at the height that they used to be and I think it is going to be a difficult championship for them,” says Kearney.
“In the past, Warren Gatland had this great ability to put players into his international squad who hadn’t been playing particularly well, even playing particularly poorly at club level and get big performances from them.
“He could turn them around in the course of a few weeks and you would almost think there was a different player playing for his club previously.
“Today, too, that they are down a huge amount of players and a lot will depend on how well Dan Biggar plays — he is an excellent operator but I expect Sexton to get the better of him.”
Difficult
A win would set up Ireland for their most difficult fixture of the five, away against
France in Paris next Saturday.
“France are clear favourites, albeit followed closely by Ireland, for the tournament.
“The French have been a magnificent side over the last couple of years.
“They’ve gotten those great fans back on their side because they are playing the type of rugby that we’ve all grown up and fell in love with French rugby because of.
“They have the best player in the world, Antoine Dupont, at scrum-half, and he has fabulous vision and pace, You’ve got Romain Ntamack too: lots to look forward to there.”
Ireland host Italy, a Sunday game on February 27th —
before p acking u p a nd travelling to face England at Twickenham on March 12th.
“Italy are at the beginning of an upward curve, having brought through a lot of good young players, but they won’t have enough to trouble Ireland in Dublin — yet.
“England are going through a bit of a transition period, they still haven’t reached the heights of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“I’m looking forward to watching Marcus Smith, he’s a talent although I believe the injury loss that will affect them the most is Johnny May, he has all-out gas.
“A lot of the good things England do are around him, Eddie Jones loves him, always picks him when he is fit.
Results
“At the same time, you can never really write England off and it will be interesting to see how their results have gone over the three previous rounds.
“Last season, Ireland were brilliant against England (winning 32-18) and it could be a good time to be away at Twickenham.”
All going well after four rounds, Ireland will still be in contention for the title, making the visit of Scotland on March 19 a must-see game.
Scotland are so hard to predict; they could be i n contention for the championship too, or languishing at the bottom of the table!
“They have the ability to produce these big performances and a belief they have no problem beating England away or France away, as they did last year.
“Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell are always very, very good to watch too.
“But, they lack consistency, they have been unable to back
up that big win with another big win.
“That’s probably why they’re never really in the running for championship winners.
“But as soon as they start putting consistent performances back to back, they’ll be put in that conversation too.”
Silver
Hopefully, the Six Nations will have been wrapped up in the Aviva at around six o’clock that day and Johnny Sexton will be holding the big silver pot in the air.
“There’s nothing better than seeing an Irish side lift a trophy and when they are in the hunt and in the mix to win Grand Slams and championships and Triple Crowns, that’s the thrill, the biggest thing I like to see.”
‘All going well after four rounds, Ireland will still be in contention for the title’