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SHANE HORGAN BELIEVES Joe Schmidt’s Ireland are better equipped to handle the weight of expectation heading into this year’s World Cup, and not be burdened by the pressure as the 2007 squad were.
Despite lofty pre-tournament expectations heading into the 2007 World Cup in France, Eddie O’Sullivan’s Ireland flattered to deceive during that campaign, winning just two of their pool games and exiting before the knockout stage.
Horgan, O’Gara and O’Callaghan after defeat to Argentina at the 2007 World Cup. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
Former Leinster winger Horgan started three of Ireland’s four Pool D outings and says that tournament has warned rugby supporters against getting too confident heading into a World Cup.
“At the time, I didn’t think the pressure was too much,” he says. “We were thinking things were going well. We should have won the Six Nations, we were playing good rugby and the team looked good.
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“I thought it was quite a nice position to be in and it was unusual for an Irish team to be in it. It’s much more usual now and that’s the big difference. The significant impact my generation have had on rugby was to make sure we never get confident going into a World Cup. That’s what we did for the nation.
“That’s hugely different so they’re more equipped with dealing with pressure and going into very big games or tournaments with huge expectations and delivering out the other side of it. The key players have done it time and time again. You’d think they’re better equipped for it than we were [in 2007].”
Although Ireland have never reached a World Cup semi-final, expectations are as high as ever in the build-up to Japan on the back of success at international and provincial level in recent seasons, notably the 2018 Grand Slam and first-ever home win over the All Blacks, in addition to Leinster’s European and domestic honours.
But a disappointing Six Nations campaign served as a wake-up call as Ireland were beaten by Wales and England, and Horgan admits his expectations for the tournament are not that high.