Ireland must beat France to avoid All Blacks

It may be three years away but the objective for Ireland was clear the minute the World Cup 2015 draw was made yesterday on London’s South Bank: beat France and avoid New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

The draw pooled Ireland with Group D top seeds France, Italy, the leading Americas qualifier and the second European qualifier but the consequences of how the Irish fare in that pool will determine how easy their route to a first World Cup semi-final will be.

A lot can change in three years, of course, but France are clearly the team to beat and if Ireland can do what they did to Australia at the 2011 World Cup and win their group then they will avoid facing probable Pool C winners and reigning champions New Zealand in the last eight.