Poll: How far will Ireland get in the RWC?

[againstthehead]

With the build-up officially started, it's time to stick your neck out:

i've assumed SA and Wales go through from Group D - although fiji and samoa could have something to say about that...

A little hard to make predictions as you never know with regards to injury. Can't see us beating Australia in the group but we should sneak past italy. South Africa will be a tough game. A 50-50 call depending if their pack show up. I'd say the semi-finals are possible but we'd need BOD to be injury free and the back row to be on all cylinders. If I were a betting man, I'd say quarter finals but I'll be optimistic and say semis.

[BaggyTrousers]

Home after quarter finals. Don't expect much but better than last time.

[Snipe Watson]

I expect a shock result in the groups with either Wales beating RSA or Ireland beating Oz. Ireland to play Wales and beat them. SF loss

[Neil F]

I'm with Snipe, here - can more likely see Wales beating SA than Ireland beating Australia. Then again, Ireland did come bloody close against Oz in 2003. Ireland are and will be hard to break down. They're not a team that concedes a lot of tries. I think the World Cup will be defined by what Ireland can do going forwards. If they get that right, the semis are a fairly serious possibility.

[againstthehead]

Defensively, I'd rate Ireland as posssibly they best side in the world. However, scrum, front 5 and lack of any real depth will cause us trouble. If Sexton or ROG are on their game and the pack can really turn on the intensity then a semi-final is possible. If Wales get their players back fit they could be half decent. England, France and South Africa are the unknowns - could be very good or could be rubbish.

[gannonman]

Quarter finals. Can't see them getting any further.

[BaggyTrousers]

Defensively, I'd rate Ireland as posssibly they best side in the world.

You clearly didn't watch NZ on Saturday Against, for that is an outrageous statement - luckily you threw in the "possibly"

Snipe if SA were playing the XV they played in the Antipodes they might be in danger against Wales but they won't, more or less all the old favourites are back for their next games - wonderful work from the docs & physio i think you will agree

As for Ireland against Oz, yes we do occasionally trouble them but they are an improving team since we last met, Ireland aren't in my opinion. We had a pile of injury diffs last year but there is much work to get back to 2009 levels, i.e. very solid & effective if not exactly exciting (other than the results).

As a result of the Murrayfield epic we have slipped from 4th to 6th in the rankings with England & France rising above Ireland.

My expectation, and you will agree I'm really sticking my neck out here , is that the semis will be populated by 4 of the current top 5 in the rankings.

[Rooster]

Second in pool then meet SA and get arses kicked back home

[lovesthehardground]

I'm optimistically thinking that we'll beat Italy and finish second in the group. Only because Italy won't travel that well. We've no chance against Australia as we can't match their pace, speed of game and intensity.

So quarters against SA or Wales. If SA we'll get walloped. If Wales we'll still lose but it will be closer. Either way back home.

In fact might be better not to qualify out of the group then I can sit and enjoy the competition as a neutral.

[BaggyTrousers]

I'm optimistically thinking that we'll beat Italy and finish second in the group. Only because Italy won't travel that well. We've no chance against Australia as we can't match their pace, speed of game and intensity.

So quarters against SA or Wales. If SA we'll get walloped. If Wales we'll still lose but it will be closer. Either way back home.

In fact might be better not to qualify out of the group then I can sit and enjoy the competition as a neutral.

Several issues here me old mucker:

1) We will be second in the group because Italy are gash & haven't beaten Ireland in the professional era.
2) 100% with you on Ire v Oz - they are wizards.
3) If SA, we will lose but be gallant losers - plus ca change, merde!
4) If Wales we will horse them big time and cue wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Valleys - BUT it isn't going to happen, neither we will beat Oz nor they beat the Saffers
5) Wash yer bake out pal - not get out of the group neutral I will be in the "Anybody but England" grouping closely followed by "Anybody but NZ" camp albeit that one is full of savvy dudes who know they are in for disappointment.

[Snipe Watson]

All far too logical Baggy. Only an ejit would back Ireland against Oz or the Taffies against the Boks, but...... as Ben Crenshaw one said...." I have a feeling" and what do ye know, he had!

[againstthehead]

'You clearly didn't watch NZ on Saturday Against, for that is an outrageous statement - luckily you threw in the "possibly" '

Naw, i watched it. Was very impressed by NZ but they do tend to concede trys - albeit Oz put them under all sorts of pressure. SA scored a very soft try against NZ last week. Ireland don't tend tend to give away soft tries and teams have to work pretty hard to break us down. NZ play a pretty high risk game and a prone to conceding a few points. I'd say they're pretty closely matched, albeit NZ are better at turning over ball.

Ireland tend to play as well as the opposition. I think we'll lift our game for Oz and push them hard. however, I can see us being nervous against Italy and kicking a lot of ball and thus ending up in a kick fest. Should beat them but if we lose to Oz that will be a very pressurised game!

[Snipe Watson]

Agin.

The All Blacks 2nds are clearly the second best team in the world. Such is the dominance of the ABs, but when it comes to the RWC, well let's face it, they should have won all of them, but didn't. The ABs are clear favourites and their form suggests that they are in the form to sweep all before them, but their demolition of Oz means nothing when it comes to RWC. I'm not saying they will blow it, but it is not a sure thing that they will win the big prize.
World Cup at home in NZ=PRESSURE with a capital PRESSURE

Bottom line, they should win, but............................................

[BaggyTrousers]

All far too logical Baggy. Only an ejit would back Ireland against Oz or the Taffies against the Boks, but...... as Ben Crenshaw one said...." I have a feeling" and what do ye know, he had!

Spot on Snipe of course but.................. if you are referring to Crenshaw's 2nd Masters .......... do you expect Deccie to play the part of Harvey Penick? If as Ryder Cup captain....... yeah he did have a feeling (publicly expressed after the win as I recall but as I often say, I could be wrong) but he also had a bunch of red-necked slobs at Brookline - the ones who repeatedly shouted on Monty's backswing, nice things like "you fat feck" - he had the ones who told Andy Coltart who had his ball glance off a tree that it was 30 yards away from where it actually was - the 17th green invasion - the gentleman in the crowd who spat on Mark James's wife. The one US player who behaved like a gentleman was Payne Stewart, sadly he was to die about a month later.

[lovesthehardground]

I'm optimistically thinking that we'll beat Italy and finish second in the group. Only because Italy won't travel that well. We've no chance against Australia as we can't match their pace, speed of game and intensity.

So quarters against SA or Wales. If SA we'll get walloped. If Wales we'll still lose but it will be closer. Either way back home.

In fact might be better not to qualify out of the group then I can sit and enjoy the competition as a neutral.

Several issues here me old mucker:

1) We will be second in the group because Italy are gash & haven't beaten Ireland in the professional era.
2) 100% with you on Ire v Oz - they are wizards.
3) If SA, we will lose but be gallant losers - plus ca change, merde!
4) If Wales we will horse them big time and cue wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Valleys - BUT it isn't going to happen, neither we will beat Oz nor they beat the Saffers
5) Wash yer bake out pal - not get out of the group neutral I will be in the "Anybody but England" grouping closely followed by "Anybody but NZ" camp albeit that one is full of savvy dudes who know they are in for disappointment.

You know me better than that baggus trouserless (probably wearing shorts or even speedos as I write ). This was an attempted wind up. Come the day come the hour........etc. No I'll have my Ireland colours firmly pinned on. You never know. you just never know.......