David Humphreys: Ireland v Romania Talking Points

Former Ulster and Ireland out-half David Humphreys looks ahead to the Rugby World Cup and challenges facing Andy Farrell's hopeful Ireland side.

The burden of Rugby World Cup history has cast a shadow over many great Irish rugby teams and 2023 has been no different.

The top ranked team in world rugby, Grand Slam winners and on a winning run of 13 games leading into today's tie in Bordeaux, preparation for the tournament couldn’t have been any better and expectations and excitement amongst players and supporters are higher than ever.

As an Irish player, after a long build up to the World Cup, there will be a huge sense of relief to get the matches started and while Romania won’t pose any real challenges, the first game can often set the tone for the rest of the competition.

It isn’t about putting up a huge score against Romania, but more about the intensity, accuracy and quality of performance that Andy Farrell has brought to this Ireland squad.

The main threat today will be managing the heat, temperatures are forecast to hit high 30s around kick-off (2.30pm Irish time), and due to the high-intensity nature of Ireland’s style of play the conditions will be a physical challenge.

There has been plenty written about the return of Johnny Sexton and everyone knows the fitness and form of the captain is absolutely key to Ireland’s success in this tournament.

It will have been a very frustrating few months for him and while a lack of game time would have been a concern for many players, Johnny has plenty of experience in adapting quickly to the pace of international rugby.

While it’s a really tough pool, the fixtures have fallen kindly for Ireland and selection over the next two weeks will ensure that Johnny’s game time is managed to