Jack Conan aims to take another shot on world stage

All told, 175 players have seen their names listed in Irish World Cup squads. That’s a lot of hard luck stories and regrets but Conan has a claim to be up there with the most frustrating among them.

Jack Conan training with Ireland. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Ireland’s relationship with the Rugby World Cup has been cruel bordering on toxic. It’s been a long-term lament of jilted affection, unconsummated promise, and no little recrimination and the numbers involved are testament to the depths plummeted.

Nine tournaments have produced as many failures over the first 32 years of the tournament’s history. Ireland have played 39 games, their win ratio of just over 61% rendered moot by a failure to win a single knockout game.