Former Ireland international Alan Quinlan believes that the Rugby World Cup will not be won by his home country but by one of France or South Africa.
Ireland heads into the tournament ranked number one in the world and has beaten both of these sides over the last 18 months.
There is cautious optimism in Ireland about how far Ireland can go, and a number of people are worried about Ireland's chances in the World Cup quarter-finals. They will either face New Zealand or France, depending on what happens in Pool B.
Quinlan, who made 27 appearances for his country, believes that Ireland has the players to get past that stage of the tournament but not win it outright in France.
Although Quinlan is confident in the Ireland players, he claims he would be 'foolish' to think they are going to win it.
"I would be really excited for this group of players. I am optimistic they can get to a semi-final. There will be bumps and bruises. You need a bit of luck, especially around injuries, not least to Johnny Sexton," said the former Munster player while speaking to BoyleSports about Rugby World Cup odds.
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"If Ireland is fit and healthy after South Africa and Scotland, I would be confident no matter who they are playing they would have a really good chance in a quarter-final.
"But I would be a fool to say Ireland is going to win the World Cup.
"It’s between France and South Africa, with Ireland and New Zealand just behind them, and it is a bit of a lottery after that. Argentina could rattle a few cages on that side of the draw.
"I think South Africa will win. I hope it’s Ireland, but at the moment South Africa has so much strength in depth across the board."
Ireland's side of the draw is horrendous, and it will be a tough ask for Ireland to beat either France or New Zealand in the quarter-finals. Quinlan wants Ireland to embrace their quarter-final woes and use it to make team cohesion stronger in France.
"Do you play it down, not get ahead of ourselves because we have never been past the quarter-finals? It is a narrow mindset. I think they will be very mindful of past World Cups but don’t be afraid to address that, package it away, or hide it. Maybe find out why it has happened," he added.
"You hope previous experiences make you stronger but also learn from your approach, your mindset, tactically what you did on the day. There is no easy path here, but maybe that will suit Ireland better. They should focus on the reality. That is they have been superb for the past two years, producing wonderful performances. You have to embrace that and enjoy it."
