Should Ireland lift the trophy in Paris on 28 October, no one could say they did it the easy way. Andy Farrell’s world No 1 side face meetings with South Africa, the defending champions, plus Gregor Townsend’s accomplished Scotland as well as Tonga and Romania.
If the tournament’s closest thing to a group of death unfolds as expected, a battle-hardened Ireland should progress to a quarter-final against France or New Zealand. There are no guarantees, but with a settled squad, a talented and equally settled coaching team and a Six Nations clean sweep freshly secured, they have no reason to fear anyone.
