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Published 12:43 2 Feb 2015 GMT
Updated 13:40 2 Feb 2015 GMT
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Ireland were third in the world rankings entering the 2007 tournament. It is a position they once again find themselves in after a run of nine wins in 10 Tests, with a 2014 Six Nations championship amid the triumphs. 'Being number three in the world seven years ago was probably a big deal,' he comments. 'This time round we've learnt it’s largely irrelevant.'
Ireland face nine international matches, all against Nothern Hemisphere opposition, before the World Cup kicks off but the captain and coach are presiding over a team that should have a genuine chance of going deep in the tournament. Still, O'Connell says Ireland 'need a lot of things to go your way' to claim the Webb Ellis trophy.
He adds, '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.'
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