Rugby World Cup 2023: 'Ireland fear no-one, now it's time to show why' - Tommy Bowe

As the excitement for the World Cup takes over, there is an undeniable sense of optimism about what lies ahead for Ireland in France.

That optimism can be easily explained - Ireland have never had a better opportunity to win a World Cup, they have never had a better run-in, and have probably never had a stronger squad.

Andy Farrell's side have proven themselves time and time again during this World Cup cycle. All Blacks conquerors, Grand Slam winners, wins over South Africa and Australia, reaching the top of the world rankings and staying there.

Irish optimism, however, has to be tempered by the World Cup draw. So much has gone Ireland's way in recent years but the draw - which took place nearly three years ago - has obviously not been kind.

The world's top five teams are all on the same side, and with South Africa and Scotland in Ireland's pool, you have three of the top five grouped together.

As a result, Ireland must deliver four strong performances to ensure they reach the last eight, but wins over France, New Zealand, South Africa and Scotland in the past 15 months bear significance. It is all lined up beautifully with the possibility of Ireland facing France or New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

Ireland fear no-one. They've shown that under Farrell. Now it's time to show it again on the biggest stage of them all.

But Farrell surely cannot be happier with how he has prepared for this World Cup. If he can maintain a clean bill of health throughout the pool matches, Irish fans can really start to get excited about what Ireland can achieve in France.

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'Representing Ireland at World Cup is special'

Representing Ireland at the World Cup is incredibly special. I played in two World Cups and they were two of the highest points of my career, while the way they ended were two of the very lowest.

These players know that wearing that Ireland jersey in a World Cup is probably the highest honour they can have, bar playing for the British and Irish Lions.

You can see how much it means to the players, many of whom are awaiting their first taste of World Cup action. It's a squad filled with players who have won Six Nations Grand Slams, European Cups and lots of trophies, but you can see how excited they are to earn World Cup caps.

And it's not just Ireland. New Zealand made such a big deal of their cap ceremony and a lot of the other countries really put an emphasis on how special the World Cup is.

I think having it in a country like France, who have a team who are going so well and will have such a strong following, there's going to be such a buzz around it.

For Ireland, the most important thing is tempering the excitement and channelling their emotions in a way that delivers big performances.

'Avoiding injuries crucial to Ireland's chances'

Managing the conditions against Romania will be key. It is going to be brutally hot under the beating Bordeaux sun but this is exactly why Farrell organised warm weather training camps for his squad in Portugal.

Irish players are not used to playing in 37 degrees so the intensive block of training they did in the Algarve this summer will definitely help the players acclimatise to the French heatwave.

And of course, you have to consider the nerves and excitement that come naturally with a tournament opener.

The most important thing for Farrell is keeping a clean bill of health. With the exception of losing Cian Healy, Ireland have managed to steer clear of serious injuries in the build-up and it's crucial their fortunes don't take a turn for the worse.

Injuries are the biggest potential stumbling block for Ireland. and the way in which Farrell balances his squad's game time over the four pool matches will be interesting to see.

Firstly, you have Johnny Sexton, who hasn't played since the Six Nations. He's obviously starting against Romania, as expected, but will Farrell risk playing him against Tonga when he will be the focal point for a lot of tackles? How Farrell manages Sexton's minutes in these pool games may go a long way in shaping Ireland's destiny.

It is also interesting to see Tadhg Beirne starting at six against Romania, which may offer a glimpse into Farrell's thinking for the South Africa match. Will he look to match the the Springboks' size and physicality with Beirne playing at six and potentially have Joe McCarthy - who also starts against Romania - in the second row again?

Will Farrell rotate or play his strongest hand in every match? He does not give caps away lightly but managing the full 33-man squad is absolutely critical.

The answers to those questions will become clear in the weeks ahead. For now, Farrell has named a strong team to face Romania and I expect Ireland to open with a win as they embark on what will hopefully be a memorable World Cup campaign.

Tommy Bowe was speaking to BBC Sport NI's Matt Gault

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