Ireland haven’t recovered from last year’s Rugby World Cup trauma, and face a tough challenge away from home against South Africa in July, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane discusses Ireland’s 2024 Test season under coach Andy Farrell, that includes a Six Nations opener against France in Marseilles on 2 February and two Tests in the Republic, where the Irish have won once in 10 Tests.
He delves into the psychological impact of Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks in 2023, as well as Farrell’s assertions that the team has moved on from the disappointment and the retirement of former skipper Johnny Sexton.
“Farrell, on the eve of the Six Nations, has said that the team was capable of moving on from Sexton, who has retired after a 15-year international career, and he has also said that Ireland had moved on from the World Cup trauma,” he writes.
KEO: Rassie set for ‘chess battles’ with Schmidt
“Farrell, like every Irish player, can’t have moved on from the pain of their defeat. It has to haunt them and it has to trouble the players, who were adamant 2023 was their world-champion year.
“Ireland’s performance in the Six Nations is the one that will command South Africa’s attention, in the form of [Rassie] Erasmus, the Springbok players and the rugby public.
“Farrell could not have asked for a tougher start to 2024, playing France in Marseilles and then touring South Africa for two Tests against the Springboks in Pretoria and Durban in July.”
Photo: EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson