World Cup 2017: Ireland

Ireland taking on Wales with success

Ireland was the 5th side to bow out, not getting past the group stage. It was unlucky in that it deserved to get to the quarter finals as it played better than Samoa who did make it.

Report card: Four WC appearances is what Ireland can lay claim to. The nation relies on mainly UK based players of Irish heritage. In the year 2000 it surprised by winning its group and then only losing its quarter final to England by 10 points. In 2008 in won a tight group again but then lost to Fiji. Ireland had a tough group in 2013 and lost all games.

Now in 2017 it started with a shock 36-12 over fancied Italy. Then they went to PNG to take on a fine local side in hot conditions and went so close to winning. Finally Ireland accounted for Wales 34-6.

						00			08			13			17
						W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L	W	D	L
						3		1	1		2			3	2		1
						+40			+16			-110			+44

The team was gutsy and would have not been disgraced playing any team but the narrow loss to PNG was their undoing. Although they went home early I have ranked them with teams that did qualify for the quarter finals. If Samoa have a cracker of a game against Australia, I may have to rethink this one. However, I'm not expecting that.

Final ranking for the tournament: 5th to 8th (out of 14 teams).

Picture source: RLEF.

Other teams ranked at the 2017 WC. Click on the nation to go to that article.

12th - 14th: Scotland, Wales, USA.
9th - 11th: France, Italy, Samoa.
5th - 8th: Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand, PNG.
1st - 4th: Australia, England, Fiji, Tonga.