UK publication declares: Ireland WILL win World Cup

Ireland have just won the Six Nations and a Grand Slam, entrenching their place at the top of the World Rugby rankings. It therefore might stand to reason that they would be viewed as World Cup favourites.

Well-known UK magazine, Rugby World, has now opted to run a front cover that suggests Ireland are ‘world beaters’ who WILL win the World Cup.

ALSO READ | SPRINGBOK SUPERSTAR SET FOR RETURN TO STORMERS?

With six months to go until the World Cup, and the 2023 Rugby Championship having yet to be played, it certainly is a bold call to make.

ALSO READ | RASSIE ERASMUS: I’M STAYING OFF TWITTER… FOR NOW!

You can see the cover below:

There are less than 200 days to go until the World Cup

As it is, Rassie Erasmus has suggested the Springboks are quite happy to be regarded as underdogs compared to Ireland, New Zealand and tournament hosts France.

LIVE UPDATES: SPRINGBOKS’ ROAD TO THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

Erasmus was speaking during a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail, and he quietly embraced the fact that the Boks wouldn’t be the only team with a target on their backs despite being defending champions.

“Would you not say we’re going in as underdogs?” Erasmus asked during the interview. “I’m with you, but with no emotions would you not say that France, Ireland and New Zealand are currently the favourites?

“Realistically, yes, we see ourselves as going in to defend it, and we get a lot of confirmation out of that match against France and Ireland in November. Before that, and this is not an excuse, we went a little bit cold into that match. But Ireland and France are No 1.

“And we know New Zealand if they played them today it would definitely be one point this way or that way. We also believe if we play against those guys it’ll be one point either way.”

ALSO READ | RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 SPRINGBOK SQUAD: WE MAKE OUR EARLY PREDICTIONS!

SPRINGBOKS’ 2023 FIXTURES

Rugby Championship

8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

✈ 15 July: South Africa vs New Zealand (Mount Smart, Auckland)

29 July: Springboks vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

ALSO READ | RASSIE POKES FUN AT HIMSELF: LAW EXPERT CAN TELL ME TO ‘SHUT UP’

World Cup warm-ups

✈ 5 August: South Africa vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)

✈ 19 August: South Africa vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

✈ 25 August: Springbok vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)

ALSO READ | FORMER SPRINGBOK LAUNCHES ANGRY TIRADE AFTER PEYPER CONTROVERSY

RUGBY WORLD CUP

✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 

✈ 17 September: Springbok vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux) 

✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris) 

✈ 1 October: South Africa vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

ALSO READ | RASSIE: SPRINGBOKS POISED TO MAKE NIGEL OWENS APPOINTMENT