We can win the World Cup, insists Hickie
With players pronouncing that they’ve never felt fitter, the ball was introduced for the first time at camp, replacing hill running and masochistic days in the gym.
Admitted winger Denis Hickie: “We had our month off as we always do but everything was a bit earlier this year. It was unusual to find yourself away in mid-May because we didn’t have a summer tour, but it was just as unusual to find yourself back in mid June. The only difference with Spala was we went twice instead of once. But this week signals the start of the World Cup as far as our pre-season is concerned. We’ve come in with a good frame of mind.”
For many, like rugby World Cup squad hopeful, Stephen Ferris it’s the beginning of a two week trial.
The edge will be evident at training before the 47 will be whittled down to 30 on August 12, the day after Ireland’s first warm-up match against Scotland. Ferris could well be the wild card entry for the World Cup, but the next two weeks will not resemble a trial in his mind.
“The last six months have been the trial,” says the Ulster backrow.
“It’s not going to all depend on these two weeks and who is going to get selected for the World Cup. But I’ll put the hard work in this week as I have in any other week and give myself every opportunity of being there.”
Ireland will be a marked team in France; a pre-tournament favourite with admirers in both hemispheres. When New Zealand assistant coach Wayne Smith and his Australian counterpart Michael Foley spoke of Ireland as serious World Cup contenders, these weren’t spurious claims. They were genuine pronouncements that Eddie O’Sullivan’s team are amongst the elite.
As a result Irish expectations levels are running high.
But that shouldn’t be a bad place to be, according to Hickie.
“It’s good that expectations are high,” says the Leinster man. “Understandably you never know when other coaches and people involved in different teams are talking you up – you never know what the motivation is.
“But I think it’s fair to say that we’ll be in a good position going into the World Cup – I don’t think any one has any problem with that. But everyone is very mindful of the fact that all the southern hemisphere teams look very strong again as they always are coming into World Cups. We can’t necessarily pick up where we left off last November– we have to raise our levels again because they all will have raised their levels. Although we will be among the favourites — which is a nice place to be. If expectation levels are high, so be it!”
Hickie feels Ireland shouldn’t be afraid of setting their sights on lifting the William Webb Ellis Trophy in the Stade de France on October 20. “Where we are right now, we have to think along those lines. I think it’s very easy to hide behind generalities and say ‘we’re no better or worse than anyone else going in’ or ‘we’ll be doing our best’. I don’t think there is any harm in going there with a target to win it. I think everyone is of the frame of mind that it’s not beyond us to win the World Cup so therefore it has to be in us to win the World Cup.
Ferris’ goal is to make the World Cup squad. He made a sizeable contribution in the second test in Buenos Aires in June, though his 3rd cap was cruelly cut short after 42 minutes through injury.
“I was out or six weeks – a meniscus problem in my knee. When I got the scan at home I was out for a bit longer and, with my recovery, I was thinking ‘am I going to make it to this week here in Limerick and get myself going again?’ Fortunately it has happened and I’m here.”
What would it mean to you to be selected in the World Cup squad? “Everything! I know I have only been playing rugby professionally for a few seasons but if you asked anybody what you want to do, it’s to play for your country at the highest level and there’s no higher level than a World Cup.”
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