Out of way New Jersey all about World Cup votes

One of the first things you learn booking flights for this summer tour is that contrary to the initial IRFU missive announcing Ireland taking on the USA en route to Japan, is that it ain’t on the way to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Indeed, the vast majority of flights heading from the west coast of the United States to Japan travel over Europe to get there — they don’t go east. It means Ireland are going out of their way to play the USA at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey this evening.

The reason for the game may only become apparent when the votes are tallied later this year in the battle to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The vote from the Yanks looks to be in the bag for Ireland. Put it another way, there ain’t any sign of the French or the South Africans pressing the flesh here this week and making all the right noises about how the game is growing on this side of the Atlantic.