Hugo Keenan says Eire are able to “lay down an announcement” of their opening World Cup match after under-performing through the warm-up video games in August.

However Leinster full-back Keenan says the facet is able to rediscover their highest stage of efficiency, beginning with Saturday’s opener in opposition to Romania.

“I do not suppose we have proven our greatest within the video games main as much as the World Cup up to now,” admitted the 27-year-old.

“We’ve not been overly proud of our performances. There’s been some good bits however then quite a lot of work-ons.

“However we’re excited for this weekend. We’re prepared to point out an enchancment on what’s been proven earlier than. We’re set for the problem.

“We need to put in a efficiency that we all know now we have in ourselves and if we are able to lay down an announcement doing that, that will be nice.”

Eire go into the World Cup on the again of a 13-Check successful run stretching again to final summer time’s sequence victory over the All Blacks.

Since that historic triumph in New Zealand, Andy Farrell’s facet have underlined their standing because the world’s primary staff by beating South Africa – who they may face in Pool B – and Australia within the autumn Exams earlier than clinching the Grand Slam on this 12 months’s Six Nations.

However Keenan, who was excellent within the Six Nations and performed each minute of the New Zealand sequence, says Eire know they have to elevate their sport to even larger heights as they got down to win their first World Cup.

“We all know each staff’s going to have pre-season and some months collectively to enhance,” added Keenan.

“So we all know ourselves now we have to take what we have proven – within the Six Nations, the autumn sequence, the New Zealand sequence – up one other stage due to that, as a result of each staff could have improved and added bits and items to their sport.

“We have got to do the identical to ours.”

Whereas the opening weekend of the World Cup consists of a variety of mouthwatering matches between the world’s top-10 sides, equivalent to France v New Zealand, England v Argentina, South Africa v Scotland and Wales v Fiji, Eire are anticipated to comfortably overcome Nineteenth-ranked Romania in Bordeaux.

Romania have by no means reached the knockout levels of the World Cup in eight earlier makes an attempt, whereas they’ve misplaced all 9 conferences with Eire, three of which got here on the 1999, 2003 and 2015 tournaments.

The Oaks additionally misplaced all three of their warm-up video games, however Keenan insists Eire respect each staff within the competitors and are taking nothing without any consideration.

“You need to acquire a little bit of confidence on what we have constructed on prior to now from beating the highest groups and let that construct your confidence and perception,” added Keenan, who has scored 9 tries in 31 caps since his Check debut in 2020.

“However you may’t take something without any consideration. Plenty of groups have improved over this large block that they’ve had collectively so now we have to take it up a notch ourselves.”

‘We’ll be glued to the TV for France v New Zealand’

Eire will face Romania on Saturday after hosts France tackle New Zealand in an eagerly anticipated match opener on Friday night time in Paris.

The Irish will doubtless face Les Bleus or the All Blacks within the quarter-finals in the event that they make it that far and Keenan says he can be watching Friday’s Pool A match with curiosity.

“It is a powerful one to foretell, is not it?” mentioned Keenan, whose room-mate in France is Leinster team-mate Jimmy O’Brien.

“It is an thrilling opening sport. I believe everybody can be glued to the TVs on Friday night time. It is annoying it is so late, 9 o’clock (native time), I will practically be watching it from mattress.

“However no, it is a fantastic opening sport and I am trying ahead to watching it.”