Under-cooked and under pressure

HAD the Irish management devised a specific strategy to dampen public expectations on the eve of the World Cup, they couldn’t have done a better job. With the crucial warm-up phase of games now completed, the squad has been denied the confidence-boosting comprehensive victories that one might have expected from the games against Scotland and Italy.

While Argentina looked disjointed and less than impressive for periods in their defeat by Wales 10 days ago, it is our other pool rivals France who seem to be the ones hitting peak performance at the right time. With three impressive wins on consecutive weekends against England — twice — and Wales, the hosts are in the driving seat. With two of those internationals played away from home, French confidence will be sky high.

Under current circumstances it is just as well that Ireland face Namibia and Georgia in their opening games as it is clear that this side badly needs more game time together before the more demanding contests at the latter half of the pool stage.