The Dawn of a new era?

Christmas is a time to reflect, they say. For Rugby-Fans it was a time to forget. Distract yourself from the horrors of yet another premature World Cup exit. Let's be honest: We all felt this would be our day, our time to break the hoodoo. Don't say it was the slogan, but everyone thought it.

For me as a journalist, you want to get your research right. So I watched the highlights of previous matches and it all came down to that fateful night in Paris. Another gut-wrenching Quarter-Final exit in dramatic fashion against a new Zealand team that we beat twice on their home turf only a year ago.

Watching the highlights, even though I know the outcome, every time a green jersey smashes into the black wall, my body is twitching. Guess what: It still hurts. I wonder how the players feel?

Some might call it torture, that the Ireland team play France away for the Six Nations opener this Friday night. But at least it's not Paris, this time they play down south in Marseille so at least the players won't be haunted by the ghosts of a World Cup past when they enter the pitch.

Still, you get knocked down and you get up again. We have certainly reached a new beginning in Irish Rugby. Johnny Sexton has bowed out and it's up to Jack Crowley to step up and execute the game plan and marshal his troops in future battles. The 24-year old proved his worth in the green jersey already and last season winning the United Rugby Championship with Munster. Some might say he still has a lot to learn to impress in similar fashion on the international level. But the slightly older ones will remember: We had a similar discussion about Johnny Sexton when he took over from Ronan O'Gara. So Crowley should be given a fair chance. It might be a new dawn, only time will tell.

Generally the Irish squad is mostly unchanged compared with last year, so everyone will expect a good performance at this year's Six Nations. Most would tip France to win, even without talisman scrum-half Antoine Dupont. But Ireland will have their say in this. The first Six Nations match on Friday pitting the two sides against each other feels like it's already the final. Especially with Scotland having the reputation of just not being good enough, Wales are in pure transition at the moment, and England have shown at the World Cup that they can defy the odds to a large degree, but without Farrell and many players lost to injury, I don't see them winning against Ireland or France.

And Italy surely have many talented players and under Kieran Crowley they pushed their opponents to the limit last year, but ended up with nothing to show for as so many times before. It will be up to the new Headcoach Gonzalo Quesada to lift Italy to the next level.

One thing is for sure: Former Ballina Club-player Caelan Doris will play a key role for Ireland in Andy Farrell's thoughts, as the ferocious back-row player hasn't missed any matches since the summer of 2022, starting during the New Zealand tour matches and every Six Nations and World Cup match last year. Doris was even tipped by some for the role of Ireland captain before Peter O'Mahony was announced.

Ireland are in a good place, the team's age structure is intact and there is experience in abundance in the squad. Big question is: Will the players be able to set the disappointment of that night in Paris behind them and push the reset button? Maybe it's for the best that they have to travel to France for the opener: Don't push your traumas aside, confront them, they say. After all: Ireland aren't the only ones chasing their Quarter-Final ghosts away, just ask the French.