Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has several injury issues to contend with ahead of his team’s 2023 Rugby World Cup opener against Romania on Saturday.
Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne and Jack Conan have been ruled out of the game, but could recover in time to return for the clash with Tonga the following weekend. Sheehan injured his foot in the recent victory over England, while Kilcoyne and Conan suffered hamstring and foot injuries in the win against Ireland.
With Romania expected to be one of the weakest teams in Pool B, Farrell is understandably unwilling to take any unnecessary risks with his players. Several online bookmakers have reacted to the news by pushing out Ireland to odds of 5/1 in the outright betting for the tournament.
That price may spark a flurry of activity on Irish betting sites, with Farrell still having plenty of talented players at his disposal. They include captain Johnny Sexton, is back in the fold after missing the recent victories over Italy, England and Samoa through suspension.
Farrell has plenty of scope to rote his squad for their World Cup opener, and may decide to hold Sexton back for tougher test further down the line. Injuries have been another issue for Sexton in recent times and Ireland can ill-afford him sustaining another problem early in the tournament.
A quick look at the match odds for Ireland’s game against Romania highlights why Farrell can contemplate rotating his squad this weekend.
Ireland are priced at odds of 1/100 to win the game, while Romania and the draw can each be backed at 200/1. Given the disparity between the two squads, Farrell will likely resist the temptation of selecting Sexton and other top players against Romania. Hugo Keenan is a likely candidate to be left on the sidelines, with Jimmy O’Brien in line to benefit from getting additional playing time under his belt.
James Lowe and Keith Earls are also fancied to start, while Robbie Henshaw could be handed a start at outside centre.
Stuart McCloskey may be handed the chance to impress in the number 12 role, while Jack Crowley looks a good bet to replace Sexton. Iain Henderson is fancied to take over the captaincy from Sexton for this game, bringing some leadership to an inexperienced line-up. Conor Murray and Jeremy Loughman may also feature in the starting XI, alongside either Ronan Kelleher or Rob Herring at hooker. Farrell could give Kelleher the chance to shine, although it would be no surprise to see Herring handed his fair share of game time off the bench.
Possible Ireland team vs Romania
J O’Brien, K Earls, R Henshaw, S McCloskey, J Lowe, J Crowley, C Murray, J Loughman, R Kelleher, T O’Toole, J McCarthy, I Henderson, R Baird, P O’Mahony, C Doris.
Tougher Tests Await Ireland
Leading online bookmakers rate Ireland as 11/8 shots to win Pool B, with reigning champions South Africa installed as the 11/8 favourites.
The two sides are scheduled to go head-to-head on September 23 in a game which will probably determine who claims top spot in the group.
Ireland face two banana skins either side of that fixture against Tonga (September 16) and Scotland (October 7) although the bookies rate them as favourites to win both. It would be unwise to underestimate Tonga given they ran France extremely close at the 2019 tournament in Japan.
Scotland also have the potential to be troublesome if Ireland take them too lightly, although this is another game they should win.
Winning Pool B could be vital to Ireland’s chances of securing their first Rugby World Cup as it would land them in what is perceived as the easiest half of the draw in the knockout stage.
However, having beaten all the top teams in the world over the past year, Ireland can head into the tournament in a confident mood.