Ireland’s History at the Rugby World Cup
As we approach the renewal of the globally famous Rugby World Cup, excitement levels grow among sports fans. The action begins this month as rugby union’s top teams descend on France for seven weeks of high-paced, unpredictable, and dramatic rugby. But which team will finish on the podium’s top step, recognised as the best team on the planet?
The starting pack reads like a who’s who of international rugby, including the host nation, who are many pundits’ pick to prevail. Other teams prominent in the pre-competition outright betting market include New Zealand and South Africa.
The best rugby betting sites offer several markets to bet on, including name the finalists, to qualify, player of the tournament, and more. Fans can even predict the tournament’s top try scorer. Make predictions, follow the play, and cheer home your team.
Ireland’s chances and odds of winning the Rugby World Cup
Will Ireland win the World Cup, pulling rank over their main rivals for the prize? Unsurprisingly, the leading online sportsbooks rank Ireland as one of the pre-competition favorites, giving the world’s number one ranked side the credit they deserve. Starting the play as the top team will inspire the Ireland squad to dig deep under challenging games, but it also places a target on their back. Every opponent will find an extra gear when trying to shoot down the world’s best.
Ireland is the fourth most likely team to win the Rugby World Cup despite heading the world rankings. The 5/1 odds generally available in the betting ring show traders want to keep Ireland close and aren’t bullish enough to write them off completely. But the industry experts also know Ireland has never won the rugby World Cup, failing to reach the semi-final stage in previous attempts.
Ireland is ranked behind four teams traders believe are more likely to lift the trophy in Paris following the final. New Zealand is the favourites, ahead of host nation France and defending champions South Africa. The odds available are subject to change and update after every round of games and results.
The longer Ireland stays in the running, the shorter their odds. If you want to back them to win, the earlier you stake, the better the returns available.
Ireland is one to watch
The bookies don’t agree on who is likely to win the tournament in in France 2023, but major firms all share an interest in Ireland, believing them to be a dark horse this autumn. Ireland boasts excellent form, a settled squad, and an experienced backroom team. The pundits are correct to keep them close, but is it an intelligent call, and can Ireland blaze a trail of glory to the title at the Stade de France in Paris?
We put the spotlight on Andy Farrell’s team, investigating their chances. Ireland is ranked number one globally and has held that position since July. They also sat atop rugby’s ranking system in 2019 after dropping to an all-time low ninth in 2013. Being the top-ranked team ahead of the World Cup is a timely confidence booster for the players, coaches, and fans, but will Ireland live up to those lofty expectations? In our Rugby World Cup betting preview, Ireland are down as third favourites for the tournament.
Team Ireland has been in this position before, starting previous World Cups with lofty expectations, only to fall flat under pressure. The famous rugby-playing nation, part of the annual Six Nations competition, has never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage. The Shamrock has an unforgiving draw, placing them on a collision course with the World Cup’s most dangerous teams. But to be the best, Ireland fans know their team must beat the best.
Keep reading as we highlight Ireland’s chances at the Rugby World Cup in France, look back at past efforts, and investigate the best teams in the betting. There’s even a Rugby World Cup 2023 schedule, ensuring you keep up to speed with games and results.
In short, we have everything you need to assess Ireland’s chances and predict whether the number one-ranked team wins the trophy or if the eventual champion will come from further down the pecking order.
Rugby World Cup 2023 info
The 2023 Rugby World Cup is the tenth version of this exciting competition, as 20 teams prepare to battle for the trophy. The action begins on 8 September and concludes with a champion crowned on 28 October. Games come from several sports stadiums across France, with the most exciting fixtures shown live on TV and live-streaming apps.
The Rugby World Cup usually lasts six weeks but was stretched to give players more rest days, hopefully leading to healthier squads and more exciting games, especially in the later rounds. This autumn will be the third time France has hosted this competition, and it gives the nation a great test ahead of next year’s Olympic Games in France.
South Africa arrives in Paris as the defending champions, and they’ll be confident they have what it takes to tighten their grip on the trophy. England lost in the final, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can go one better this term. Chile joins the party, playing in its first World Cup, while Portugal is back for the first time in 16 years.
Rugby World Cup 2007 recap
Ireland was added to the ‘group of death’ at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, joining France, Argentina, Namibia, and Georgia. Escaping to the knockout rounds would be no mean feat, but most pundits thought it possible. Unfortunately, Ireland dropped from the running at the earliest opportunity, returning home at the group stage’s conclusion.
They beat Namibia in their opening game, doing as expected against a low-ranked opponent. Ireland then edged out Georgia but didn’t do enough to grab a bonus point. They then lost heavily to France, meaning a solid win over Argentina was required in their final game. Things didn’t go well, with the Pumas winning 30-15 to send Team Ireland packing.
Rugby World Cup 2011 recap
The 2011 World Cup didn’t start as well as expected for Ireland, but that didn’t shock most fans. The Irish had suffered from a string of bad results in warm-up games, and they carried that poor form into the competition opener against the United States. Team USA isn’t known for its rugby prowess, and Ireland got the win expected but missed the chance to land a bonus point against weak opposition.
Although Ireland hadn’t been at their best in the opening game, it rarely pays to write them off, and they responded to a poor show against the USA with an unexpected 15-6 win over Australia, catapulting them back into the running. Victory over Russia and Italy saw Ireland top the group, progressing as pool champions for the first time.
In the quarter-finals, they faced a familiar face when drawing fellow home nations side Wales. The Dragons beat Shamrock in the knockout stages, Wales progressing with a 22-10 win. What had started so well for Ireland ended in disappointment.
Rugby World Cup 2019 recap
Ireland entered the previous World Cup looking to make a point, stamping their authority on the Rugby World Cup by progressing to the semi-finals with a view to winning the trophy. They opened with an emphatic win over Scotland, laying down a marker for the games ahead. Ireland beat the Scots 27-3 in a morale-boosting victory.
Despite that crushing win over the Scots, Ireland’s joy was short-lived as they lost to Japan. Proving a mere speedbump, Ireland bounced back to flatten Russia and Samoa, progressing to the quarter-finals, where they drew the All Blacks. New Zealand was the favourites to win, and they lived up to expectations.
The final scoreboard read New Zealand 46-14 Ireland, bursting Ireland’s bubble, and sending them home from the competition. It was a bitter pill to swallow for all concerned, and the pressure is now on Ireland to deliver the goods in 2023.
We’ve seen in the past Ireland is good enough to reach the number one ranking but fail to deliver at the World Cup. Will that change this year?
Rugby World Cup 2023 draw
Ireland is in World Cup Group B alongside Romania, Scotland, South Africa, and Tonga. It’s not the ‘group of death’ they’ve faced in previous World Cups, but it’s by no means a simple task.
South Africa is the favorite to progress as pool winners with the battle between Ireland and Scotland for the runner-up position. Romania and Tonga are improving teams, but neither will trouble the major places in Group B. Where Ireland finishes in the pool determines who they play in the knockout rounds.
The winner of Group B faces the runner-up of Group A in the quarter-finals. The runner-up in Group B meets the winner of Group A. But which teams are expected to progress from the opposing pool? Group A comprises France, Italy, New Zealand, Namibia, and Uruguay. The winner and runner-up are expected to be France and New Zealand, but which order will they finish?
Regardless of the winner and runner-up of Group A, France and New Zealand would both start as favourites against Ireland in the quarters.
Outright betting favourites
New Zealand is the pre-competition betting favourites with all major sportsbooks, with the All Blacks the team to beat. To go all the way to the trophy, they must fend off the attention of the host nation. The betting odds may change if New Zealand loses to France in Group A and finishes behind Les Bleus in the table.
The All Blacks leads the pack, and bookies expect the eventual champion to come from Group A with France the second favourites. New Zealand and France must do things the hard way to lift the trophy, as they are on the most challenging side of the draw.
Third favourites and defending champions South Africa also face a path littered with danger, meaning the value bet could be picking a dark horse and a team from the opposite side of the draw. Australia and England are two teams worth following at excellent odds, while the Welsh shouldn’t be ignored in a hurry.
Other markets
The World Cup 2023 champion is the most popular market for those looking to make predictions on the tournament, but there are others. Choose one or more teams to qualify for the knockout stages, create a multiple, or predict the top try scorer. Damian Penaud sits atop the list, ahead of Will Jordan and Mark Telea.
The exciting aspect of this market is you don’t need a team to perform well, just a player. A nation could be eliminated in the early rounds, but you’ll remain in the running if a player has racked up multiple tries during the group stages. Remember, the longer a team is active at the World Cup, the more games they’ll play and the greater chance your pick will score tries.
In addition to the dozens of Rugby World Cup 2023 outright markets, sportsbooks also offer game odds. Predict the winner of any fixture from the opening round to the final or browse the specials. Eye-catchers include handicap, total points, half-time/full-time, and more. The games will come at us thick and fast during the seven weeks, with several fixtures played daily during the group stages.
Matches shown live on TV are exciting, but a financial interest in the outcome is even more fulfilling. Make your predictions, watch the game on TV or a live-streaming app, and enjoy the show.
Predictions
Can Ireland go all the way and show why they are the number-one-ranked team in the world? If they do become champions, they must beat some big-name teams along the way. It’s a daunting prospect, but any side that wins this trophy must be the best.
Judging from past performances and the luck of the draw, Ireland is likely to go no further than another disappointing quarter-final exit. They look good enough to secure an extended stay in France and play in the knockout stages, but Ireland is a hefty price to play in the semi-final.
The current odds show traders see history repeating itself with Ireland at the World Cup.
