Ireland needs to ‘improve a huge amount’ to stay ahead at the Rugby World Cup

Dylan Coetzee 06 Jul 2023 8:25 AM

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan insists that his side will have to take their game to a different level to avoid a “leapfrog” from other teams at the Rugby World Cup.

It has been a purple patch for Ireland who, since the last World Cup, have won a Test series in New Zealand, a Triple Crown and a Grand Slam, earning their spot at the summit of the world rankings.

Peaking between World Cups

However, Ireland has picked up the unfortunate tag of peaking between World Cups, and this group is determined to buck the trend.

“We’re going to have to improve a huge amount,” Keenan told the 42.

“Every other team in the competition will have so much time together, they’re only going to be getting better; they’re going to be developing. The standard we got to in those previous tournaments, or series won’t be enough this time, so we’re just talking about getting ourselves in a better spot than any of the other tournaments gone before so that no team can leapfrog us.

“We know the challenge ahead and how tough it is to win the World Cup; we just have to embrace it.

“We’ve been using every tournament or series that we’ve been part of over the last couple of years as a stepping stone to this point. A lot of the time we would refer to the last three games of the Six Nations as a quarter-final, semi-final, final and bring that mentality in when we’re coming into a knockout tournament.

“It’s a bit different to a series or Six Nations where you might be able to lose a game. We know the pool stages and knockouts is going to be that bit tougher, so we can’t afford to slip up. There’s a huge mentality side to things.”

Childhood dream

For Keenan, who will likely be on the plane to France, it will be his first World Cup and something of a childhood dream.

He is prepared to work extremely hard to ensure his spot on the side.

“I’m hugely excited about the opportunity (to play at a World Cup),” Keenan continued.

“I’m going to work my ass off to get on the plane. It’s something I would have dreamed of as a kid, not that I thought it would ever happen.

“It would be my first one, so obviously, there’s a bit of excitement around that. A lot of the lads are in the same boat as well.”

Internationals