Irish team selected for Saturday has echoes of 2007 Rugby World Cup but makes utter sense
Yet there are a couple of important differences. First, the additional week afforded the pool stages compared to all previous nine World Cups means Ireland have a rest week after the South African game. Second, even if the defeat by Japan has not remotely informed his thinking, the threat posed by a fired-up, passionate Tongan team with several seriously talented players making their World Cup debut is even greater than that posed by Georgia 16 years ago.
“The only thing that I care about is winning this weekend because the points that are on offer is exactly the same as what’s coming down the line.” It is a long shot, and does not mean to count chickens prematurely, but it is conceivable that Ireland could have at least one foot in the quarter-finals before they face Scotland, or at any rate will be grateful for any points they accrue against Tonga.
It comes with no guarantees, but Ireland arrive at this embryonic stage of the tournament in a reasonably good place after 12 weeks together. Farrell was clear-cut in his belief that Sheehan will be fit for the game against the Springboks, in contrast to the unfortunate Malcolm Marx
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