Ireland at the Rugby World Cup
The Ireland national rugby union team have played all eight Rugby World Cup tournaments. They have played in the quarter-finals at all but two tournaments, but have yet to progress to the semi-finals. Strangely, Ireland has never played either South Africa or England in a RWC match.
Ireland has competed at every Rugby World Cup since the tournament was first held in Australia and New Zealand in 1987. After a loss to Wales, Ireland finished second in their pool in 1987 but were then knocked out by Australia in their quarter final in Sydney. In 1991 Ireland again lost only the one match in pool play (to Scotland). They again met the Australians in the quarter-finals, who defeated them by one point. Runner-up in their pool in 1995 to the All Blacks, Ireland were defeated by France in their quarter-final in Durban.
Ireland finished second in their pool in 1999, behind Australia and went into the quarter-final play-offs (a system exclusive to the 1999 tournament). There they lost to Argentina, and thus, not being quarter-finalists, they were not given automatic entry into 2003. They defeated Russia and Georgia to go through as Europe 1. They finished second to Australia in their pool, and were knocked out by France in the quarter finals.
They started in the so-called "Group of death" with hosts France, Argentina, Namibia and Georgia in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They played Namibia (the lowest ranked team in the World cup) in their opening game on 9 September which resulted in a narrow 32–17 win.[1] Their progress was then put into doubt when they beat Georgia 14–10, not obtaining a bonus point.[2] France's victory over Namibia 87–10 put Ireland's progression from the group in doubt, and this was compounded when the French defeated Ireland 25–3.[3] Entering their last group match against Argentina, needing four tries to secure a bonus point without allowing Argentina anything, Ireland were defeated by 30 points to 15 and crashed out at the pool stage for the first time.[4]
Ireland began their 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign on the back of four defeats in a series of warm-up tests in August, with a 22–10 victory over the United States in New Plymouth on 11 September. Failing to secure a bonus point against world cup minnows the United States, a team ranked far below Ireland, this was an unconvincing win. Contrary to preceding form, and indeed beating most commentators expectations, Ireland produced a memorable performance to defeat reigning tri-nations champions Australia 15–6 in their second pool game in Eden Park in Auckland on 17 September. This was the first Irish win against tri-nations opposition in the southern hemisphere in 32 years. It was also Ireland's first ever win against Australia in the Rugby World Cup. After comprehensive wins against Russia and Italy in the final two pool-stage matches, Ireland topped Pool C. This was the first ever time Ireland came first in a world cup pool. Ireland advanced to the quarter-finals to face Wales in Wellington. They were defeated 22–10 by the Welsh, thus ending their 2011 campaign.
Ireland topped Pool D of the 2015 Rugby World Cup with four victories and with two bonus points. Ireland beat Canada and Romania with bonus points in their first two games. Ireland then faced Italy, coming out on top 16–9,[5] the only try coming from Keith Earls who surpassed Brian O'Driscoll as Ireland's leading Rugby World Cup try scorer with eight. The final pool game saw Ireland face France. The winner would set up a quarter final against Argentina and avoid the All Blacks. Ireland overcame the loss to injury of key players Jonathan Sexton, Peter O'Mahony and Paul O'Connell to run out 24–9 winners.[6][7] The victory set up another game for Ireland in the Millennium Stadium against Pool C runners up Argentina on 18 October 2015. Ireland battled and came back from a 17-point deficit to come within 3 points of their opponents, but eventually lost 43–20.
By position
Ireland has reached the quarter-finals six times, but have not progressed beyond that stage.
- 1987: Eliminated in quarter finals.
- 1991: Eliminated in quarter finals.
- 1995: Eliminated in quarter finals.
- 1999: Eliminated in quarter-final play-offs
- 2003: Eliminated in quarter finals.
- 2007: Eliminated in the pool stages.
- 2011: Eliminated in quarter finals.
- 2015: Eliminated in quarter finals.
Matches
Pool 2 matches –
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wales
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 31 | 6 |
 Ireland
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 84 | 41 | 4 |
 Canada
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 90 | 2 |
 Tonga
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 98 | 0 |
| 1987-05-25 |
| Ireland | 6–13 | Wales |
| Pen: Kiernan (2) | Report | Try: Ring Pen: Thorburn Drop: Davies (2) |
| Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 17,500 Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald  |
| 1987-05-30 |
| Canada | 19–46 | Ireland |
| Try: Cardinal Pen: Rees (3) Wyatt Drop: Rees | Report | Tries: Crossan (2) Bradley Spillane Ringland MacNeill Con: Kiernan (5) Pen: Kiernan (2) Drop: Ward Kiernan |
| Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Fred Howard  |
| 1987-06-03 |
| Ireland | 32–9 | Tonga |
| Tries: Mullin (3) MacNeill (2) Con: Ward (3) Pen: Ward (2) | Report | Pen: Amone (3) |
| Ballymore, Brisbane Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Guy Maurette  |
Quarter-final
| 7 June 1987 |
| Australia | 33–15 | Ireland |
| Tries: Burke (2) McIntyre Smith Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (3) | Report | Tries: MacNeill Kiernan Con: Kiernan (2) Pen: Kiernan |
| Concord Oval, Sydney Attendance: 14,356 Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland) |
Pool B matches –
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points 
Scotland
3 0 0 122 36 9 
Ireland
2 0 1 102 51 7 
Japan
1 0 2 77 87 5 
Zimbabwe
0 0 3 31 158 3
| 1991-10-06 |
| Ireland | 55–11 |  Zimbabwe |
| Tries: Robinson (4), Popplewell (2), Geoghegan, Curtis Con: Keyes (4) Pen: Keyes (5) | Report | Tries: Dawson, Schultz Pen: Ferreira |
| Landsdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Keith Lawrence  |
| 1991-10-09 |
| Ireland | 32–16 |  Japan |
| Tries: Mannion (2), O’Hara, Staples Con: Keyes (2) Pen: Keyes (4) | Report | Tries: Hayashi, Kajihara, Yoshida Con: Hosokawa (2) |
| Landsdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Laikini Colati  |
| 1991-10-12 |
Scotland  | 24–15 | Ireland |
| Tries: Shiel, Armstrong, S. Hastings Con: G. Hastings (2) Pen: G. Hastings (3) Drop: Chalmers | Report | Pen: Keyes (4) Drop: Keyes |
| Murrayfield, Edinburgh Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Fred Howard |
Quarter-final
| 20 October 1991 |
| Ireland | 18–19 | Australia |
| Tries: Hamilton Con: Keyes Pen: Keyes (3) Drop: Keyes | Report | Tries: Campese (2), Lynagh Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 54,500 Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland) |
Pool C matches –
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points 
New Zealand
3 0 0 225 45 9 Ireland
2 0 1 93 94 7 
Wales
1 0 2 89 68 5 Japan
0 0 3 55 252 3
| 1995-05-27 |
| Ireland | 19–43 | New Zealand |
| Tries: David Corkery, Denis McBride, Gary Halpin Con: Eric Elwood (2) | Report | Tries: Jonah Lomu (2), Josh Kronfeld, Frank Bunce, Glen Osborne Con: Andrew Mehrtens (3) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (4) |
| Ellis Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 38 000 Referee: Wayne Erickson |
| 1995-05-31 |
| Ireland | 50–28 | Japan |
| Tries: Neil Francis, Simon Geoghegan, David Corkery, Eddie Halvey, Niall Hogan Con: Paul Burke (6) Pen: Paul Burke | Report | Tries: Sinali-Tui Latu, Ko Izawa, Seiji Hirao, Masanori Takura Con: Yoshihito Yoshida (4) |
| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Attendance: 15 000 Referee: Stef Neethling  |
| 1995-06-04 |
| Ireland | 24–23 | Wales |
| Tries: Eddie Halvey, Nick Popplewell, Denis McBride Con: Eric Elwood (3) Pen: Eric Elwood | Report | Tries: Jonathan Humphreys, Hemi Taylor Con: Neil Jenkins (2) Pen: Neil Jenkins (2) Drop: Adrian Davies |
| Ellis Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 35 000 Referee: Ian Rogers |
Quarter finals –
| 1995-06-10 |
| France | 36–12 | Ireland |
| Tries: Philippe Saint-Andre, Émile Ntamack Con: Thierry Lacroix Pen: Thierry Lacroix (8) | Report | Pen: Eric Elwood (4) |
| Kings Park Stadium, Durban Attendance: 18 000 Referee: Ed Morrison |
Pool 5 matches –
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points 
Australia
3 0 0 135 31 6 Ireland
2 0 1 100 45 4 
Romania
1 0 2 50 126 2 
United States
0 0 3 52 135 0
| 1999-10-02 |
| Ireland | 53–8 |  United States |
| Tries: Keith Wood (4), Eric Elwood (2), Brian O'Driscoll, Justin Bishop Con: David Humphreys (4) Pen: David Humphreys (2) | Report | Tries: Kevin Dalzell Pen: Kevin Dalzell |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Joel Dume |
| 1999-10-10 |
| Ireland | 3–23 | Australia |
| Pen: David Humphreys | Report | Tries: Ben Tune, Tim Horan Con: Matthew Burke (2) Pen: Matthew Burke (2), John Eales |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 49,250 Referee: Clayton Thomas |
| 1999-10-15 |
| Ireland | 44–14 |  Romania |
| Tries: Conor O'Shea (2), Andrew Ward, Thomas Tierney, Dion O'Cuinneagain Con: Eric Elwood (5) Pen: Eric Elwood (2) Drop goals: Brian O'Driscoll | Report | Tries: Cristian Sauan Pen: Petre Mitu (3) |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 33,000 Referee: Brain Campsell |
Quarter-final play off
| 1999-10-20 |
| Ireland | 24–28 |  Argentina |
| Pen: David Humphreys (7) Drop: David Humphreys | Report | Tries: Diego Albanese Con: Gonzalo Quesada Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (7) |
| Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Attendance: 22,000 Referee: Stuart Dickinson |
Group A matches –
| Team | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | BP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 273 | 32 | 2 | 18 |
| Ireland
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 141 | 56 | 3 | 15 |
| Argentina
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 57 | 3 | 11 |
| Romania
|
1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 192 | 1 | 5 |
 Namibia
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 310 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-10-11 |
| Ireland | 45–17 | Romania |
| Tries: S. Horgan, Wood, Hickie (2), Costello Con: Humphreys (3), O'Gara Pen: Humphreys (4) | Report | Tries: Penalty try, Maftei Con: Tofan, Vioreanu Pen: Tofan |
| Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 19,123 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan |
| 2003-10-19 |
| Ireland | 64–7 | Namibia |
| Tries: Quinlan (2), Dempsey, Hickie, Horan, Miller (2), G. Easterby, S. Horgan, Kelly Con: O'Gara (7) | Report | Tries: Powell Con: Wessels |
| Aussie Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 35,382 Referee: Andrew Cole |
| 2003-10-26 |
| Argentina | 15–16 | Ireland |
| Pen: Quesada (3) Drop: Quesada, Corleto | Report | Tries: Quinlan Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys, O'Gara (2) |
| Adelaide Oval Attendance: 30,203 Referee: André Watson |
| 2003-11-01 |
| Australia | 17–16 | Ireland |
| Tries: Smith Pen: Flatley (3) Drop: Gregan | Report | Tries: O'Driscoll Con: O'Gara Pen: O'Gara (2) Drop: O'Driscoll |
| Telstra Dome, Melbourne Attendance: 54,206 Referee: Paddy O'Brien |
| 2003-11-09 |
| France | 43–21 | Ireland |
| Tries: Magne 3' c Dominici 29' c Harinordoquy 33' c Crenca 47' c Con: Michalak (4) Pen: Michalak (5) | Report | Tries: Maggs 52' c O'Driscoll (2) 65' c, 80+2' c Con: Humphreys (3) |
| Telstra Dome, Melbourne Attendance: 33,134 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan |
Pool D matches –
|
|
Ireland qualified for the 2011 RWC automatically.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | B | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 34 | +101 | 15 | 1 | 17 | Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup |
| 2 | Australia
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 173 | 48 | +125 | 25 | 3 | 15 | |
| 3 |  Italy
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 92 | 95 | −3 | 13 | 2 | 10 | Eliminated but qualified for 2015 Rugby World Cup |
| 4 | United States
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 122 | −84 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 |  Russia
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 57 | 196 | −139 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 September 2011 18:00 |
| Ireland | 22 – 10 | United States |
| Try: Bowe (2) 40' c, 60' c Best 56' m Con: Sexton (1/1) O'Gara (1/2) Pen: Sexton (1/5) 17' | Report | Try: Emerick 80+' c Con: Malifa (1/1) Pen: Paterson (1/2) 54' |
| Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth Attendance: 20,823 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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| 17 September 2011 20:30 |
| Australia | 6 – 15 | Ireland |
| Pen: O'Connor (2/4) 11', 23' | Report | Pen: Sexton (2/5) 17', 49' O'Gara (2/2) 62', 71' Drop: Sexton 19' |
| Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 58,678 Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) |
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Man of the Match:
Touch judges:
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| 25 September 2011 18:00 |
| Ireland | 62 – 12 | Russia |
| Try: McFadden 10' c O'Brien 13' c Boss 38' c Earls(2) 39' c, 48' c Trimble 40+' m Kearney 65' c Jennings 73' c Buckley 79' m Con: O'Gara (6/7) Sexton (1/2) Pen: O'Gara (1/1) 6' | Report | Try: Artemyev 50' c Simplikevich 59' m Con: Rachkov (1/2) |
| Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua Attendance: 25,661 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
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| 2 October 2011 20:30 |
| Ireland | 36 – 6 | Italy |
| Try: O'Driscoll 47' c Earls (2) 52' c, 80+' c Con: O'Gara (2/2) Sexton (1/1) Pen: O'Gara (4/5) 7', 18', 35', 44' Sexton (1/1) 70' | Report | Pen: Mi. Bergamasco (2/3) 11', 21' |
| Otago Stadium, Dunedin Attendance: 28,027 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
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Quarter-finals
| 8 October 2011 18:00 NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Ireland | 10 – 22 | Wales |
| Try: Earls 45' c Con: O'Gara (1/1) Pen: O'Gara (1/1) 24' | Report | Try: Williams 3' c Phillips 51' m J. Davies 64' c Con: Priestland (2/3) Pen: Halfpenny (1/1) 29' Priestland (0/2) |
| Westpac Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 35,787 Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
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Man of the Match:
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2015 Rugby World Cup
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | B | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 35 | +99 | 16 | 2 | 18 | Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 2 |  France
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 120 | 63 | +57 | 12 | 2 | 14 | |
| 3 | Italy
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 74 | 88 | −14 | 7 | 2 | 10 | Eliminated but qualified for 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 4 | Romania
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 60 | 129 | −69 | 7 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | Canada
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 58 | 131 | −73 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 September 2015 | Ireland |
50–7 | Canada |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
| 27 September 2015 | Ireland |
44–10 | Romania |
Wembley Stadium, London |
| 4 October 2015 | Ireland |
16–9 | Italy |
Olympic Stadium, London |
| 11 October 2015 | France |
9–24 | Ireland |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
Quarter-finals
| 18 October 2015 13:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Ireland | 20–43 | Argentina |
| Try: Fitzgerald 26' c Murphy 44' c Con: Madigan (2/2) 27', 45' Pen: Madigan (2/4) 20', 53' | Report | Try: Moroni 3' c Imhoff (2) 10' c, 73' c Tuculet 69' c Con: Sánchez (4/4) 5', 10', 70', 74' Pen: Sánchez (5/6) 13', 22', 51', 64', 77' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 72,316 Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France) |
Overall record
| Against | Played | Win | Draw | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| Argentina
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
| Canada
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| France
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
 Georgia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Italy
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Japan
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Namibia
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| New Zealand
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Romania
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Russia
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Scotland
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tonga
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| United States
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Wales
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 |
| Zimbabwe
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Overall | 36 | 22 | 0 | 14 | 61.11 |
Hosting
The Rugby World Cup is held every four years, and tends to alternate between the northern and southern hemispheres. Every northern hemisphere tournament so far has been held in Europe, and in general Ireland usually hosts some games when it is held there.
1991: UK/Ireland/France
| City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
 Dublin |
Landsdowne Road | 49,000 |
 Belfast |
Ravenhill | 12,300 |
The 1991 Rugby World Cup final was played in England, while pool and finals games were played all over European nations. Pool A, which England was in, saw matches played mostly in London, though games were also taken to Leicester, Gloucester and Otley. Pool B games, which involved European nations, Scotland and Ireland, had all their games in either Dublin or Edinburgh with one game being played in Belfast. Pool C, which Wales was a part of, had all their games in Cardiff, with two taken to Pontypridd and one played in Llanelli. Pool D, which France were a part of, saw games played in Agen, Bayonne, Béziers and Grenoble. None of the quarter-finals or semi-finals were played in England. The final was played at the Rugby Football Union's Twickenham.
1999: Wales
| City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Dublin |
Lansdowne Road | 49,250 |
| Limerick |
Thomond Park | 13,500 |
| Belfast |
Ravenhill Stadium | 12,500 |
The 1999 World Cup was hosted by Wales, but an agreement was reached so that the other unions in the Five Nations Championship (England, France, Ireland and Scotland) also hosted matches.
The format of the pool games was similar to the 1991 World Cup in England. All Pool A games were held in Scotland, Pool B games in England, Pool C games in France and Pool D games were all held in Wales. Second round play-offs and the quarter-finals were held a variety of European venues, the semi-finals were held at Twickenham Stadium, London. The third place play-off and the final were held at the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Venues in Ireland included Lansdowne Road, the traditional home of the Irish Rugby Football Union, Ravenhill, the Northern Ireland IRFU owned venue and Thomond Park.
2007: France
The 2007 competition was held in France, with some games played in Wales and Scotland. France won the right in 2003 to host the 2007 tournament. Three matches were played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Two matches were held at Edinburgh's Murrayfield. Ireland were also offered to host matches at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, but had to decline the offer as construction work was scheduled to begin on the stadium.[8]
2023: TBD
Ireland has announced its intention to bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
References
- Davies, Gerald (2004) The History of the Rugby World Cup (Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, (ISBN 1860746020)
- Farr-Jones, Nick, (2003). Story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, (ISBN 0-642-36811-2)
- ^ "Ireland 32–17 Namibia". BBC Sport. 9 September 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "Ireland 14–10 Georgia". BBC Sport. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "France 25–3 Ireland". BBC Sport. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "Argentina 30–15 Ireland". BBC Sport. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "Rugby World Cup 2015: Ireland 16-9 Italy". RugbyWorldCup.com Sport. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ^ "Rugby World Cup 2015: Ireland 24–9 France". BBC Sport. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Injury ends Paul O'Connell's Ireland career". RTÉ Sport. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Scotland looks to give up World cup matches at Murrayfield". worldcupweb.com. Retrieved 7 May 2006.