Former Ireland player Peter Stringer has praised Andy Farrell for giving the current generation of Ireland players a different mindset heading into the Rugby World Cup.
Before Farrell, Ireland was a very good side under Joe Schmidt and could beat any team in a one-off tie. However, you were never really sure how long Ireland's period of excellence would last.
Now, Ireland is without a doubt one of the best rugby teams in world rugby and is good value for its world number one rank.
Under Farrell, they have beaten everyone from New Zealand, South Africa, England, Australia, and others along the way to the World Cup in France.
The tournament starts this week, and Ireland is well-fancied to go far in this year's tournament. However, Ireland will have to get past the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
Ireland has not progressed beyond the quarter-finals at a Rugby World Cup, having lost to the likes of Japan and New Zealand in 2019 and 2015.
In 2019, hosts Japan pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Rugby World Cup history as they beat the world number two-ranked Ireland 19-12 in Shizuoka.
Stringer, who played in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 Ireland squads, believes that Farrell's no-nonsense pursuit of glory has brought the best out of players.
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"I have a huge amount of respect for Andy Farrell, and I think that’s what he’s brought to the squad. He’s brought that level of respect where he is liked by the players, but they want to play for him,"Stringer said in his first blog to Betway.
He’s brought a complete change of attitude to the way they play the game. Under Joe Schmidt, it was very regimented, and it was all about accountability. There still is that accountability, but there’s not so much of a fear factor.
If Ireland does get out of their pool that contains Romania, Scotland, South Africa, and Tonga, they will then play one of New Zealand or France in the next round.
Although the former Munster scrum-half Stringer believes that Ireland's side of the draw is 'horrendous', he believes if Ireland does manage to overcome that obstacle, then there should be no reason why Ireland could not lift the Webb Ellis Trophy this year.
"There’s no doubting the side of the draw that Ireland is on is just horrendous, with two of South Africa, Ireland, France, and New Zealand not making it past the quarter-finals," he added.
"I come up with different scenarios every time I think about it, but Ireland has every chance. When you look at each game in isolation, they can win them all, but it’s all about how you back it up in that World Cup environment.
"Obviously, playing pool games against Scotland and South Africa brings more pressure. I think there’s a big win in Scotland in this tournament.
"If Ireland can get past that quarter-final, whether it’s New Zealand or France, I wouldn’t put it past them winning the competition."
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