Rugby world slop

It's not easy being a passionate Irish rugby supporter at the best of times.

This statement means a lot of things. In many ways it's a public acknowledgement that the Irish, not the Wallabies, are my first team. There is no rational explanation for this. We left Ireland for good before my 10th birthday. I've been back on many occasions, it is a beautiful place with even more beautiful people, but it hasn't ever felt like home.

I think it's more to do with the fact that Australia is just so damn good at pretty much every sport it takes seriously. We dominate rugby league and cricket, and can boast to being the only nation to win the Rugby World Cup more than once. That and the fact that the ARFU have for many years been part of a small-minded push which sees countries like Samoa, Argentina, Tonga and Fiji excluded from genuine competition outside of World Cups.

The Irish on the other hand have struggled for years and years. They haven't won anything since I was a boy. Anything other than the triple crown, which is like the prize you get for losing to France. For the last 3 years though, they've had a bloody good team, a team equal to the best in the world. They have beaten Australia and South Africa, regularly beat England and pushed the All Blacks hard in New Zealand. Hopes were high coming into this world cup, Ireland were serious contenders.

2 games in, and the team are a shambles. 27-17 over Namibia was an embarrassment, but watching the game on Saturday was like watching a slow train approaching while trying to untie the ropes that fasten you to the tracks. For those who don't know, we played Georgia, a nation of 300 rugby players and 8 rugby pitches. We won, 14-10, but the victory was hollow. No bonus point, no possession, and really, a feeling that Ireland were very, very lucky to win.

So the equation is this. We play France on Friday night this week, and Argentina the following Sunday. Beat the French and we're probably through, however the way they're playing now a 40 point thrashing looks likely. Lose to the French, don't get a bonus point, and we probably won't make the quarter finals. Desperate stuff. Beat the French and the French go out, however the French beat Namibia 85-10 or something ridiculous like that.

I guess we live in hope. This week, that is my hope.