Ireland get a favourable draw but there’s no room for complacency

Their odds have been slashed, a vice-captain’s fist pump has been reported, and celebrations appear to have begun following Ireland’s pool draw for the 2019 World Cup.

Yet, while fate has appeared to have dealt Joe Schmidt a lucky hand with Scotland and hosts Japan the top seeds’ primary rivals in Pool A, there are plenty of potholes lying in wait on the road between Ireland and their ambition of a long overdue first World Cup semi-final.

Let us not pretend yesterday’s draw in Kyoto was not favourable for Ireland compared to the other potential pool permutations. Head coach Schmidt will not have been tempted to offer a swap deal to England counterpart Eddie Jones after the back-to-back Six Nations winners were pooled with arch rivals France and 2015 semi-finalists Argentina, nor will he be wishing he could have drawn South Africa or Wales from the second seeds’ pot given defeats to both in the past 11 months.