This Ireland side is not without flaws but it finally has the necessary grit and grind to reach the World Cup last four
Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Rugby World Cup is its predictability. Look at the way the pools are filled and from a distance it is possible to see who will be clambering out in first and second place. Of course, upsets happen from time to time, though very few shocks to the system.
So while it was painful four years ago for England still to be treading water while Wales and Australia towelled off and headed to the quarter-finals, it was not seismic. Wales finishing third to Fiji in 2003 would have been a bigger deal.
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