Rugby World Cup - Ireland be strong, you can do it

THIS morning 30 young Irishmen will wake up in Bordeaux. Like so many millions of Irish people before them they will wake in a foreign place, their hearts full of hope, their ambitions fervently shared by everyone they left behind at home.

Like the other 570 rugby players representing 19 countries greeting the day in France, the Irish team are beginning what should be four weeks — hopefully six — of challenging exhilaration and excitement; an opportunity to reach the pinnacle of their careers.

That this pinnacle may be reached in one of the few forums where professional sport and honest human endeavour sustain a nodding acquaintance with each other makes the adventure all the more worthwhile.