‘23 Bordeaux needs to be a better vintage

STRUGGLE Ireland against Argentina in ‘07

IRELAND are returning to Bordeaux for France 2023 – the base for their disastrous showing at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

World Rugby confirmed last week that there will be at least five days between each game in the tournament for player welfare reasons. Ireland will have a week between their first three games and then a fortnight between their encounters with reigning world champs South Africa and Scotland.

They will play in three of the different venues in use during the pool phase of the next finals, including twice in Paris for the encounters with the Springboks on

September 23 and then against Scotland on October 7.

Ireland kick off their next World Cup campaign against a European qualifier (possibly Russia) in Bordeaux on September 9, before moving north to Nantes seven days later to face the Asian/pacific qualifier (Samoa or Tonga) in Pool B.

The opening game of the tournament will see the hosts take on New Zealand at Stade de France on September 8. Ticketing details will be announced on March 4.

When the finals were last hosted by France, Ireland also played in Bordeaux and in Paris in the pool stages.

The players were dismayed to be put in a hotel in an industrial estate outside of their Bordeaux base and it was believed to have contributed to their below-par displays.

Ireland took only nine points from four games, losing to the hosts and Argentina and beating Georgia and Namibia. Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber yesterday said: “To be in the same pool as Ireland and Scotland will be a massive challenge.

“But to win the tournament, you have to be able to beat all the teams and we will be properly tested in the pool phases.

“The margin for error at any stage of the RWC is very small, so we will plan for every scenario, including a very tough last pool game against an Asian-pacific qualifier which might be one of Samoa or Tonga.”