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Ireland facing World Cup exit
 The
rugby team they called the greatest ever to wear the green could instead
be remembered as the great underachievers of Irish sport after they were
humbled by France on Friday night.
Eddie O’Sullivan’s men have one shot at redemption they need to
beat Argentina by eight points or more and score four tries in the process
if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.
Argentina currently top the group and were good enough to beat France
so the odds must be on O’Sullivan’s men returning home from
the World Cup before the knock-out stages.
Having won the Triple Crown and outclassed England last autumn this was
supposed to be the Irish team which could make a real impression on the
World Cup.
But poor performances have been piled up on each other meaning that for
the third World Cup in a row a showdown with Argentina will decide our
fate.
One of the lowest points in the history of Irish rugby was the defeat
at the hands of the Pumas in 1999 while in 2003 Ireland squeezed into
the quarter-finals.
But this is the best Argentina have ever been with players drawn from
across Europe’s top clubs. Their pack is fearsome, while their weakness
among the backs has been eradicated.
O’Sullivan was awarded a new four-year contract before the start
of this World Cup. The way results have gone he will be checking the small
print.
Errors have abounded in team selection and tactics and for the first time
in his reign the manager is being criticised. Only a pride-restoring performance
against Argentina on Sunday will do. |
