RONAN O' GARA has asked Irish rugby fans to lay off the current team and that Andy Farrell's team need space after a largely successful Six Nations.
Ireland's only defeat came to eventual winners France in round 2, but they did score the most tries in the tournament.
Talk has ramped up over Ireland's chances of winning the World Cup in 2023 and Ireland's former out-half has backed Ireland's camp to remain happy ahead of the event in 2023.
Ireland will have players like Johnny Sexton a year older, but O' Gara feels that Ireland can improve by adding to an already impressive squad.
O' Gara was speaking at the launch of this year’s Aviva Mini Rugby Festivals in Aviva Stadium.
NEW PLYMOUTH, NEW ZEALAND - JUNE 12: Ronan O'Gara of Ireland is tackled by Jerome Kaino of the All Blacks during the International rugby test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland at Yarrow Stadium on June 12, 2010 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)“The main priority is just keep adding, keep adding,'' said O'Gara.'
"Sometimes the mentality with Irish people is that they are looking to pick holes or presume there would be a big fall but that’s not necessarily the case. Just leave them off.
"They’re in good form, they have momentum, there is competition for places, the dynamic seems good.
"They are allowed to have a happy camp that exists in sport. So what you want as the head coach is competition for places and they have that in probably two-thirds of the case.
O' Gara highlighted the players who may be hard to replace
“Two-thirds is probably a bit harsh. They have it in most positions but with a few notable exceptions, maybe.
"It’s not that the competition for places isn’t there, just when you have someone like Tadhg Furlong he is very difficult to replace.
"Johnny in current form is difficult to replace but that’s probably with an asterisk too, that the guys looking to take his place are completely 'under-rugbied'.
"It’s a position where you get better with minutes and experience and experience in big games but they haven’t got that.
"Poor old Joe has been riddled with injury and then with a Six Nations title on the line Johnny is the number one 10, so he’s not just going to be giving up easy minutes to someone else when the team plays better when the best out-half is on the pitch.
