2025 raises a lot of questions for Andy Farrell’s Ireland team. Will 2026 provide the answer?
Throughout their painful World Cup history, and their failed bid to reach the semi-finals for the first time, the team has often been accused of peaking at the midpoint of a four-year cycle.
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This time, though, no one would make that claim.
After another quarter-final defeat in Paris two years ago – this time Ireland’s heartbreaking performance against New Zealand, arguably the best team Ireland had ever fielded at the World Cup – the team’s quality had declined, but there was no denying it.
In 2024, Ireland still won the Six Nations, an achievement whose enormity would not go unnoticed by anyone old enough to remember the 24-year wait between 1985 and 2009 for such a title.
However, there is no denying that there are still lingering concerns about how they left the Grand Slam behind them when they lost to England at Twickenham.
That summer’s series in South Africa, taken individually, was not a bad result, but in hindsight it becomes increasingly important that the manner of the defeat was more evident than the manner of the victory.
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Their November campaign started with a chaotic performance against the All Blacks, with the feeling that the team never really got back into rhythm.
The same may be true for 2025 overall.
Victories over England and Scotland at the start of the Six Nations boded well, but they were beaten at home by France and struggled away from home to Wales and Italy.
The summer tour, without the large number of players and coaches who traveled to Australia with the British and Irish Lions, offered little insight or improvement.
When full strength returns in November, defeats against New Zealand and South Africa will only heighten concerns that the gap between Ireland and the best is widening after slipping from their 2023 peak.
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How Farrell, his coaches and players work to ensure that the cracks don’t become seams will be a major storyline in 2026.
Hugo Keenan scored in the British and Irish Lions’ second Test win over Australia last summer [Getty Images]
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the defeats at home to France and South Africa was that Ireland felt outnumbered by both in contact and – particularly against the latter – in contention.
The nature of these losses only heightens concerns about the age structure of the team.
Fifteen of Farrell’s November call-ups are 30-year-olds, with a further four players set to turn 30 during the 2027 World Cup.
Munster forwards Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson, as well as Ulster center Jude Postlethwaite, both of whom have not made an appearance for their country, will provide fresh blood and fitness for the 2026 Six Nations.
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Leinster backstops Paddy McCarthy and Tom Clarkson, as well as re-fit Ulster player Cormac Izuchukwu, already have international experience, but greater exposure for the trio would also fit the profile of the campaign as Australia prepares for a turning point in 2027.
Ireland doesn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater easily, though.
Will Farrell renew a largely solid playing squad with such promising but untested players, or stick with coaches who have such credibility in the bank and head into Ireland’s tenth anniversary in 2026?
How some seasoned campaigners change the feeling of a Lions hangover is an interesting subplot.
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However, it’s not just a personnel issue.
Given the physicality of their squad, even during the golden era of the past decade and a half, Ireland have become accustomed to having to box smartly to enjoy their historic success.
But while long phase games were once their calling card, changes in the interpretation of defensive breakdowns have made that part of their game less effective than before.
Regardless of who Farrell chooses, and regardless of the average age of the team moving forward, there will be a sense that one of the sharpest coaches in the game will also be relied upon to adjust the game plan.
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How does Bermand’s team embark on their World Cup journey?
If Farrell’s side hope to gain some momentum in their preparations for the World Cup, Ireland’s women’s team will be looking to capitalize on the momentum generated by their own global performances in 2026.
Ireland had begun to rebuild from the lows of their 2021 World Cup qualifying defeat and really began to take off in 2024, when a third-placed finish in the Six Nations secured promotion to the WXV top flight.
Once there, they proved they were among the best by beating New Zealand in Vancouver. Another third place finish in the 2025 Six Nations doesn’t feel like the achievement of the past year, especially given that the campaign ended with Scotland’s humiliating defeat in Edinburgh.
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Having missed out on the last World Cup, their performance in England was considered on par with wins over Japan and Spain, but they lost to the Black Ferns at the pool stage and then France in the quarter-finals.
They could have beaten the Gallic Roosters one day in poor conditions at Sandy Park, but missed the chance to become the first Irish senior team to win in the quarter-finals of the tournament, despite leading 13-0.
Off the pitch, however, the World Cup represented a real reconnection between the team and the Irish public.
From viral social media videos to “Free the Wool” campaigns, a fascinating team has made a real breakthrough even in non-rugby circles and interest in the game seems to be growing.
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The key over the next 12 months will be building a good feel on and off the pitch.
Aoife Wafer is back healthy after missing 2025 due to injury [Getty Images]
Historic Aviva Stadium match coming soon
It has been confirmed that a historic independence tie will be played at the Aviva Stadium in 2026 when Scotland play in the final round of the Six Nations in Dublin in May.
Before then, Italy will be in Galway and Wales in Belfast, with Scott Bermand’s side sure to aim for three wins for the first time since 2020.
The restructured WXV competition and the first testing window starting in the fall also bring new challenges.
How Ireland’s top players prepare for these events will continue to be of great interest in early 2026.
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For home players, the Celtic Challenge continues to be used as a way to prepare for the Six Nations, although the hope is that the period between now and March will see more competitive games than in recent editions of the Championship.
However, Premier League women’s rugby is also increasingly seeing a real Irish presence. Star back-row Aoife Wafer makes her Harlequins bow this month, while regular forwards Brittany Hogan and Niamh O’Dowd will make their debuts at Sale and Gloucester-Hartpury in the New Year.
Hopefully all three teams can take their game to the next level in 2026, and the national team can do the same.
