’07 provides valuable lessons for Ireland

The ghosts of 2007 don’t exactly haunt the corridors of Ireland’s stately home at Carton House, but valuable lessons have been learned from that shuddering World Cup experience of eight years ago.

Ireland begin their 2015 campaign Saturday with a date against Canada in Cardiff that is likely to see the vast majority of Joe Schmidt’s first XV take the anthems, but the expectation is that all 31 of the squad will be pressed into action before the pool stages are over.

Team manager Mick Kearney intimated as much yesterday.