Rugby World Cup 2023: What predictions for Ireland?
by Steve Ashfield | by Véronique MASUAKU
Best World Cup Ever for Ireland?
It's been a great year so far for the Irish rugby team. They won the Six Nations and did so with a Grand Slam and currently top the world rankings. Now they dream of winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
They have played in every single Rugby World Cup and only once have they been eliminated in the pool stage. However, they have played seven quarter finals and lost every single one of them. Could 2023 be the year that at least the last four is reached for the first time? It is possible but as you will read they do not have an easy draw in this tournament.
Tough Draw for Ireland
Ireland are unbeaten in their last 13 games so you can see why they are top of the world rankings. Not since July 2022 have they lost a match and it took the All-Blacks of New Zealand to do that.
They recently beat England 29-10 and before that defeated Italy 33-17. With players such as their captain Johnny Sexton (above), Ireland are proving to be a tough team to beat. Can they beat their World Cup hoodoo and for the first time get past the last eight?
Ireland will need to be in good form in Pool B if they are to reach the knockout stages. They have been drawn against the defending champions South Africa, Scotland, Tonga and Romania.
While they have never failed to beat Tonga or Romania in previous meetings, it's not that case with their other two pool opponents. They have only ever beaten South Africa eight times and been defeated 18 times with one match drawn. Current form is good for them though and they've won their last two matches against the Springboks and four of the last six. They have only met once since 2017. The only recent losses to them have been in matches played in South Africa. We'll look more at this fixture later on in this news item.
Ireland have beaten Scotland 69 times but lost 66 with five games drawn. Recent years have seen them dominate Scotland with eight wins in a row. Scotland haven't beaten them since 2017 and you have to go back 13 years to the last time Scotland beat them away from Murrayfield. With 12 wins in the last 13 meetings and three of the last four being by at least 15 points, Ireland will be the favorites to beat them again.
They can make the quarter finals for the fourth successive tournament but again the draw has not been kind to them. Their scheduled opponents in the last eight are likely to be either hosts France or New Zealand. Either opponent would be a big task for Ireland to get over. Another quarter final defeat can't be ruled out. If they can get past that hurdle, then they could well be the winners of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
2023 Rugby World Cup - Ireland's Fixtures
As we've mentioned Ireland haven't got an easy draw in this 2023 Rugby World Cup. The good news for them is that their first two matches are against Romania and Tonga. Those are the two weakest sides in the pool and Ireland should have few problems racking up a couple of wins. Then comes the hard work with South Africa and Scotland being faced. A fascinating second half of this pool awaits us. Here's the Irish fixture list:
- Ireland v Romania - September 9th - 14:30 - Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
- Ireland v Tonga - September 16th - 20:00 - Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
- Ireland v South Africa - September 23rd - 20:00 - Stade de France, Saint- Denis
- Ireland v Scotland - October 7th - 20:00 - Stade de France, Saint- Denis
Follow all the action on our 2023 Rugby World Cup Livescore page with live text commentary and the latest statistics.
2023 Rugby World Cup - What Bets to Make for Ireland?
Can Ireland win the 2023 Rugby World Cup? They are 5.50 at bet365 to lift the trophy. They've got a tough draw but they have a chance. If you do want to back them, it's advisable to do so before they play South Africa. If they can beat them, then the odds will shorten.
The same applies to betting on them to win Pool B. They are 2.00 at Vbet to win the pool, just ahead of the defending world champions. the Springboks. Ireland have a good recent record against South Africa so a win is on the cards. There are no odds for that match yet but it could be a close match. Seven of the last nine matches between them have been won by six points or less. More helpful stats like this will be found on our predictions page where every match will be covered.
There are odds available for their opening match against Romania. It has to be handicap betting for this match and we recommend backing them at 1.5 with Unibet on a -59.5 points handicap. That shows you how comprehensively Ireland are expected to win this match.
In which round will Ireland be eliminated, if at all? It's 1.83 at William Hill that they again lose in the quarter finals. With New Zealand or France the likely opponents that could well happen. They are 3.00 at Betfair to reach the final for the first time. The odds on them facing South Africa in the final are 8.00 at William Hill who also offer 8.5 on a New Zealand v Ireland final, both are distinctly possible. Check out all the latest prices on our Rugby World Cup odds comparator.
