Speaking exclusively to BOYLE Sports , three-time Lions coach Warren Gatland has assessed Ireland 's World Cup hoodoo and the importance of Andy Farrell 's long-term commitment.
Gatland has explained why Ireland have so often peaked mid-cycle, why reaching a semi-final would be a huge achievement, and how he would weigh up the fly-half battle between Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley .
The former coach has also looked at what an Ireland win over South Africa would signal, praised the job Gregor Townsend has done with Scotland , and named his pick for the Autumn Nations champions.
Ireland
How Important Is Andy Farrell Committing Long Term?
When you look back at World Cups , Ireland have kind of always been in a mid-cycle. The team has been one of the best teams two years out from a World Cup , and then they'll pick up injuries or players get a little past their best by the time the World Cup arrives.
They've definitely got some ageing players, and the hard call is deciding who to keep for experience and leadership versus when to make a change.
Andy Farrell knows those players well. He's an excellent communicator and motivator, and he has high expectations for them to perform well and be successful. He'll see this as a big challenge to turn that tide.
If they can get to a semi-final, that'll be seen as a massive success. There's been a huge amount of expectation on them in the past, and unfortunately, they've come up short. If they get through to a semi-final, it'd be a huge achievement.
It's Remarkable They've Never Made the Knockout Stages, Isn't It?
They expected to do well in France in 2023. It puts a lot of pressure on them.
There is a lot of expectation at home from the Irish public and media because they have been incredibly successful outside of World Cups , which has been great for Irish rugby and great for the sport.
Would You Build Your Team Around Sam Prendergast or Jack Crowley?
At some stage you have to make a decision, but you still want to keep both players at a level in terms of getting game time just in case you pick up an injury. They've got Frawley as well.
People are writing Prendergast off a little bit at the moment. He burst onto the scene; no one knew who he was, played some great games, and then got thrown in there and probably didn't perform as well as he would have wanted. But that'll make him better. That'll make him stronger mentally as he gets older. You learn from that adversity.
Crowley has that Munster hard-nosed toughness. He had some disappointments, came back, and played really well. It'll be interesting to see how they go in the autumn and the Six Nations .
It's a position that takes a little bit of time to really grow into, usually around your mid-to-late twenties, when you have the maturity to control a game and put disappointments behind you.
What Are Your Thoughts on Ireland Versus South Africa?
If you want to send a statement out to everyone for the next twelve months, that could be absolutely massive. The Northern Hemisphere teams want to get some results against the big teams, particularly at home.
You don't want South Africa and New Zealand going unbeaten. You definitely want some scalps. But it depends on the philosophy. Are you going out to win it all, or are you using the chance to develop a bit of depth in the squad and give youngsters a run?
Scotland
How Do You Rate Gregor Townsend?
He's done a fantastic job with Scotland in terms of the resources, not always having a lot of players, and the limited time in preparation. They get a couple of good results and big wins, and all of a sudden everyone expects them to continue.
It's been challenging, but there's no doubt he's come out on the other side. Glasgow have definitely done well the last few years, and that's a big part of that Scottish team and their DNA at the moment. He hasn't been afraid to make changes, which has definitely built depth in that squad.
The Verdict
Who Will Be the Nations Champions at Twickenham?
I think it'd be hard to go past South Africa at the moment.
The All Blacks have a chance as well. I'm really looking forward to those games, the All Blacks - Wales and All Blacks - England . It's great getting those six games in a weekend. I like the format, and hopefully we get some good crowds and some great rugby.
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