Eoin Reddan: We’re well prepared to deliver at World Cup

Eoin Reddan believes Ireland can be more assured about what they will bring to the table at the World Cup in England later this year than was the case in New Zealand in 2011 or France eight years ago.

In 2007, Eddie O’Sullivan’s squad talked and thought big, only to flop completely in failing to escape their pool. Last time out, Declan Kidney’s side blew the tournament wide open by defeating Australia in the pool stages, but subsequently fell flat in the quarter-final against Wales.

If Joe Schmidt has introduced anything into the Irish set-up, it is a consistency of, not just performance, but preparation too. Reddan touched on that yesterday at the announcement of the Ireland squad to face the Barbarians in Limerick on Thursday.