The 2027 World Cup in Australia will be Andy Farrell's second as Ireland head coach [Getty Images]Matt Gault - BBC Sport NI senior journalistWed, December 3, 2025 at 4:45 PM UTC·3 min readHead coach Andy Farrell would not be drawn on suggestions that Ireland have been handed a favourable draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Ireland were pitted alongside Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal in Pool D of the expanded 24-team tournament in Australia.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Ireland top their pool, it will likely leave them on the opposite side of the draw from France, New Zealand and holders South Africa, but Farrell was not getting carried away as he reacted to Wednesday's draw.
"You can try and second-guess it and think all different permutations are going to work out in a certain way, but we know that a World Cup always throws up these type of things, that's why we love it so much," he said.
"I suppose you're always looking at which side of the draw you could come out, but if you don't look after your own side of things first and foremost then things could slightly happen a little bit differently.
"But having said that, everyone else in our pool is 100% going to be thinking in the same way."
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Ireland have never reached the World Cup semi-finals, losing all eight of the quarter-finals they have contested.
In Farrell's first World Cup campaign as boss two years ago, Ireland fell to a heartbreaking last-eight defeat by the All Blacks in Paris.
And while Ireland are coming off a mixed autumn campaign that yielded defeats by New Zealand and South Africa, Farrell says he is focused on ensuring his entire squad believe they can win the sport's most coveted prize.
"I back myself and the rest of the coaches and the players to go as far as we'd all hope," added the Englishman.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We all have the ambition to win the World Cup, otherwise what's the point? I want to ensure that everyone else feels the same."
Farrell also explained his preparations for the showpiece event are under way, having been part of a two-hour meeting with other Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] staff prior to speaking to the media in Dublin.
'I got goosebumps'
Ireland ran out comprehensive 36-14 winners over Scotland when the nations collided at the 2023 World Cup in France [Getty Images]Ireland will prepare for another World Cup meeting with Six Nations rivals Scotland after wins over Gregor Townsend's side in 2019 and 2023.
The Irish have never faced Uruguay at Test level, while they thrashed Portugal 106-7 when the sides met in Lisbon in July.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Scotland have performed well in the last couple of tournaments, so that's a great fixture," added Farrell.
"We know each other well and will continue to do so in the coming years. But Uruguay and Portugal are a little different. We've played Portugal once and I've actually tried to play against them a few times, so we've followed their journey.
"Uruguay is a little different. All in all, I was super excited. I got goosebumps standing up, as in it's exciting, you know. So that's the way it should be."
Expanding on the rivalry with Scotland, who Ireland have beaten 11 times in a row, Farrell added: "The easy thing for us to say every time we play Scotland is that we have always had a lot of respect for them as an unbelievably dangerous, world-class side.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Having worked with many of their players in the summer [with the British and Irish Lions], you get to see why you [Scotland] feel like that.
"Obviously, knowing a few more guys, there's insight there both ways, but I suppose over the course of two years those things change massively as well."
