Ireland head coach Andy Farrell admits his squad must improve before realistic aspirations of winning next year's Rugby World Cup. While Ireland won six of eight Tests in 2026, defeats by France and New Zealand revealed the level they must reach. With South Africa visiting Dublin in November, plus matches against Argentina and Fiji, and a Nations Championship final at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium, Farrell says his players are prepared to push themselves for the ultimate prize in Australia. "The obvious thing and the boring thing to say is every area," Farrell said. "We're a pretty good team, so recognising that to grow from being a decent team or a good team is pretty hard." He added that the current level is not 100% good enough to believe they can win the World Cup, which excites him for the next 12 months.
Ireland begin this month's schedule at home to Argentina on Friday. While the Pumas have never beaten Ireland in Dublin in 11 attempts, they stunned Farrell's British and Irish Lions at the Aviva Stadium last year. Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi has named a strong team, with Toulouse utility back Juan Cruz Mallia's return among 12 changes.
Although Argentina's 2026 form has been underwhelming with just one win in six, Farrell insists they will be buoyed by the recent acquisition of defence coach Shaun Edwards. "They're always unbelievably hard to beat," he said. "And on any given one-off day they can beat anyone in the world.".
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing