Ireland forward Paul O'Connell has said that he thinks his team have a genuine chance of winning this year's Rugby World Cup.
The 35-year-old is preparing for the upcoming Six Nations tournament, but he believes that his side, who are ranked third in the world, can compete with the very best in this year's competition.
He told The Guardian: "For Ireland to win a World Cup you need a load of things to go your way. You need luck with injuries because we don't have the playing numbers of other countries. But Ireland certainly have a chance of winning the World Cup. You don't go out and play unless you believe that."
He added: "The way we've performed in the last 18 months makes me think that, at our best, we'd certainly have a chance against [New Zealand, South Africa and Australia]. That sharpens our preparation because we know how good we have to be against them. We have to really perform to the best of our ability whereas other countries probably have the luxury of not always being at their best and still winning."
O'Connell has won 96 caps for his country so far.
Charlie Bennett
