Andy Farrell: 'Where we are right now we won't win a World Cup, but that challenge excites me'

Head coach Andy Farrell during an Ireland men's rugby squad media conference at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Andy Farrell has thrown down the gauntlet to his Ireland players to prove to him and supporters they have what it takes to be World Cup contenders in Australia in 11 months.

The countdown to an opening pool game against Portugal in Sydney on Monday, October 4, 2027 begins in earnest on Friday night when Ireland kick off their Nations Championship November series against Argentina at Aviva Stadium and the head coach has named an intriguing matchday 23 to face Los Pumas.

There are return appearances for the first time in 11 months for blindside flanker Ryan Baird, left wing Mack Hansen and loosehead prop Andrew Porter, surprise starts at scrum-half and openside flanker for Craig Casey and Nick Timoney respectively ahead of Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier and a record number of five Connacht players in a professional era Ireland team against tier-one opposition.

One of those, Sean Jansen, has been named at No.8 for his second start and third cap in the absence of injured duo Caelan Doris, the captain, and Jack Conan while fellow summer debutant tighthead prop replacement Sam Illo is in line for a home Test debut as back up to Tadhg Furlong.

Leinster’s British & Irish Lions hero Hugo Keenan makes his first Ireland appearance on home soil since the 2025 Six Nations and Sam Prendergast retains the number 10 jersey ahead of Connacht’s Ciaran Frawley having recovered from a wrist injury.

Hugo Keenan makes his first Ireland appearance on home soil since the 2025 Six Nations. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Plenty of points to prove for all 23 with just nine Tests and three A internationals to play before final World Cup preparations get underway next summer and Farrell ramped up the pressure further on Wednesday as he asked to be convinced Ireland can contend with big guns France, New Zealand and back-to-back world champions South Africa when the rugby world heads Down Under next autumn.

Ireland has lost by double digits to all three in the past 24 months, and by an average of 15 points in five meetings against those opponents, a 40-21 loss to the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park their most recent outing at the end of the first leg of Nations Championship Tests last July 18. Which explains why “every area” was the head coach’s reply to where he wants to see his team grow, starting on Friday night.

“We’re a pretty good team. Recognising that, to grow from a good team in the first place is pretty hard to do but you’ve got to have ambition to do that, the hunger to do that.

“For what’s coming in 12 months’ time, if we’re honest with ourselves, where we are right now, is that good enough to board the plane believing 100 percent that we’ve a chance to win the World Cup? I don’t think so.

“But that excites me more than anything for what’s coming up in the next 12 months. I see a group that’s ready for the next challenge which is to ask themselves questions, where it is they want to go to, individually and as a collective.

“It's something we probably think that it's very hard to see because we've got to go past a lot of people's ceilings to do that. If you can't get excited about that then you're in the wrong place.” Farrell wants Ireland supporters, of whom 48,800 had bought tickets by close of business on Wednesday, to be given visual evidence of progress made since last summer in terms of fitness, energy and intensity.

"Everything has got to be visible. We want it to be visible to our fans. We want them to come along on the journey with us and want them to feel that they see the ambition of the team growing. More energy than anything. Fight, to show that they care about getting better. Delivering intense moments and all of that.

“So, we want that to be visible. That's up to us to do that.” 

IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Robert Baloucoune, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Mack Hansen; Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan - captain, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole, Sam Illo, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ciaran Frawley, Bundee Aki.

ARGENTINA: Juan Cruz Mallía; Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomás Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Boris Wenger, Julián Montoya - captain, Francisco Moreno; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Juan Martín González, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera.

Replacements: Leonel Oviedo, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Efrain Elias, Juan Martin Scelzo, Simón Benítez Cruz, Gerónimo Prisciantelli, Lucio Cinti.