Japan knew what needed to happen to take this Irish side out of its comfort zone and succeeded in achieving that. Wales started their campaign with a clinical performance against Georgia, a bonus point in the bag by half time when they led 28-0, yet only drew the second half 14-14. That is exactly what I mean by a World Cup tournament assuming a life of its own. Schmidt now faces the biggest challenge of his coaching career over the next fortnight. READ MORE Joe Schmidt admits Ireland taking a risk with Garry Ringrose selectionRWC19 Podcast: The Japan inquest.

Source: Irish Examiner October 01, 2019 14:26 UTC