Ireland winning the phoney war but real dangers down the line

A strange few days in many ways. New Zealand beaten for only the third time since lifting the 2011 World Cup, confirming you shouldn’t write off the Wallabies approaching next month’s global showpiece tournament.

Of even greater significance for Ireland, a young and ever-improving Argentina side whipped perennial bully boys South Africa in their own backyard in Durban.

The reward for Ireland topping Pool D in the forthcoming World Cup is that we, more than likely, avoid the reigning champions in favour of the Pumas for a quarter-final date in Cardiff. That astonishing result in Kings Park has served to highlight the fact that securing that elusive semi-final slot will be far from straightforward.