Team Guide: Ireland
Background information
The Irish had hosted a World Cup once but never won it.
Ireland best finish at the World Cup was the quarterfinals.
The Irish has never played South Africa or England at World Cups.
Ireland had six different coaches and six different captains.
Eddie O Sullivan and Brian O'Driscoll coached and captain Ireland at two consective World Cups.
Eddie O Sullivan,Graham Henry and John Kirwan had all coached at Three World Cups- with two different countries.
Ireland and Australia played each other at five World Cups- with the Irish only winning one.
1987
Ireland participated in their first World Cup.
There was no qualification process due to Ireland being an IRFB member.
Mike Doyle/Jim Davidson coached the side – with Donal Lenihan being captain.
Ireland lost 33-15 to Australia in the quarterfinals.
The Irish collected 99 points- with only 74 conceded in the competition.
Their biggest winning margin was 27points when they won Canada 46-19 in the pool stages.
Ireland scored 13 tries in the tournament.
1991
The second edition of the World Cup was jointly hosted by Ireland, England, France, Wales and Scotland.
Ciaram Fitzgerald coached the side – with Phillip Matthews being captain.
Ireland lost 19-18 to Australia in the quarterfinals.
The Irish collected 120 points- with only 70 conceded in the competition.
Their biggest winning margin was 44 points when they toppled Zimbabwe 55-11, in the pool stages.
Ralph Keyes contributed 68 out of Ireland 120 points- with the Irish player being top point scorer in the tournament.
Ireland scored 14 tries in the tournament.
1995
Ireland participated in their third World Cup.
They received automatic qualification due to them being in the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup.
Gerry Murphy coached the side – with Terry Kingston being captain.
Ireland was eliminated for a third time in the quarterfinals.
Ireland scored 11 tries in the tournament.
The Irish conceded (120) more points than they collected (105).
Their biggest winning margin was 22 points when they toppled Japan 50-28 in the pool stages.
1999
Ireland participated in their fourth World Cup.
They received automatic qualification due to them being in the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup.
Warren Gatland coached the side – Dion O'Cuinneagain being captain.
Ireland was eliminated in the quarterfinal play-offs.
The Irish collected 124 points- with only 73 conceded in the competition.
Their biggest winning margin was 45 points when they crushed the United States 53-8, in the pool stages.
David Humphreys contributed 41 out of Ireland 124 points.
2003
Ireland participated in their fifth World Cup.
They qualified through regional qualifiers.
Eddie O'Sullivan coached the side – with Keith Wood being captain.
Ireland were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The Irish collected 157 points- with only 73 conceded in the competition.
Their biggest winning margin was 57 points when they won Namibia 64-7 in the pool stages.
2007
Ireland participated in their sixth World Cup.
The Italians conceded (77) more points than they collected (123).
Their biggest winning margin was 24 points, when they won Tonga 36-12, in the pool stages.
Eddie O'Sullivan coached the side – with Brian O’Driscoll being captain.
Ireland was eliminated in the pool stages after they ended third in their pool.
The Irish conceded (82) more points than they collected (64).
Their biggest winning margin was 15 points when they toppled Namibia 32-17 in the pool stages.
It was the second time that Argentina had eliminated Ireland from a World Cup after Los Pumas knocked them out in the 1999 World Cup quarterfinal play-offs.
2011
Ireland participated in their seventh World Cup.
They received automatic qualification because they ended third in their pool of the previous World Cup.
Declan Kidney coached the side-with Brain O'Driscoll being captain.
Ireland were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The biggest shock came when Ireland won Australia 15-6, in the pool stages.
The Irish collected 145 points- with only 56 conceded in the competition.
Their biggest winning margin was 50 points when they crushed Russia 62-12 in the pool stages.
