Deans backing Ireland to win Rugby World Cup
Ahead of the Rugby Union World Cup, ex-Australia coach Robbie Deans has said that Ireland can win the tournament, and that the team is ideally placed to take home the coveted trophy right now.
“Ireland are absolutely one of the sides in contention for the World Cup,” Deans said.
“This is going to be a great World Cup. There’s more uncertainty in terms of the ultimate winner than there’s ever been. And there are more sides capable of getting onto the podium than ever before, and that’s great for the game.
“Joe Schmidt has started really well at Test level,” he continued, speaking about the New Zealander.
“Ireland are very well-placed I think right now; the timing of this World Cup is good for them. They’ve got a good nucleus of experience, and they’ve shown there’s no one in the world they can’t beat, and that includes the All Blacks.