Australia will have to be at the top of their game or risk falling to a huge opening day upset against Ireland on July 20.
That’s according to a man who knows a thing or two about World Cup shocks.
New France coach Hervé Renard was in charge of Saudi Arabia last November when they opened their Qatar campaign with a sensational 2-1 win over Argentina.
They were the only team to record a win over Lionel Messi and Co, who went on to win the World Cup.
“In football everything is possible,” he said, when asked if Ireland could repeat his Saudi side’s heroics.
“I think you heard the attendance for this first game, it will be 80,000 people, so it will be a fantastic opening game.”
France are in Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night as opponents in Ireland’s final home game before Vera Pauw’s side jet off to Australia tomorrow night.
And Renard, who quit the Saudi Arabia job to manage his home country, had a warning for Ireland’s opening day foes and co-hosts Australia.
“When you are playing a team and you are supposed to be better than this team, you always repeat the same. Be careful,” he said.
“We, for example, are playing in Ireland. It will be a difficult game.
“Concentrate, always respect your opponent. This is a key part of the competition.
“If you do not respect one opponent, and it was maybe what happened against Argentina in the second-half, the football can sometimes be terrible because you think you don’t have to run, you just have to put your name on the field.
“But that is not enough in football. In football you always have to fight, you always have to play at your best level to win one game.”
