Stuart Lancaster: Ireland have an ‘exceptional chance’ at World Cup

Stuart Lancaster has backed his Leinster double winners to lay down a big marker for Ireland’s World Cup hopes next year when they take on Australia over three Tests this summer.

With just 16 months until Joe Schmidt’s team kick off their 2019 World Cup pool campaign against Six Nations rivals Scotland in the Japanese city of Yokohama, former England boss Lancaster said he had high hopes that the Grand Slam winners, the majority of whom also lifted the Champions Cup and Guinness PRO14 trophies with Leinster in the past 16 days, can have serious tilt at adding the Webb Ellis Cup to their impressive medal haul.

Following Leinster’s 40-32 PRO14 final win at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, Lancaster said of Schmidt team’s hopes in Japan: “Ireland have got a really good chance, an exceptional chance.