Ireland coach Andy Farrell is right about his side not being contenders at the moment to win the Rugby World Cup next year as there are "a lot of questions hanging over them", according to former Irish prop Mike Ross.
Ireland go into their three home Nations Championship matches – starting with Argentina on Friday – having secured the Six Nations Triple Crown earlier this year.
However, a 40-21 humbling by New Zealand in their final Nations Championship southern hemisphere tour game extended to six a losing run to the big three teams comprising the All Blacks, South Africa and France – and by an average losing margin of 15 points.
Four years ago an Ireland side inspired by fly-half Johnny Sexton entered the November tests – less than a year out from the World Cup – having achieved a historic 2-1 series win in New Zealand.
"It's fair enough we haven't got back to the form of 2022 and it would be nice to be at that stage again," Ross told AFP on Thursday.
"Going into 2023 I was more comfortable than now.
"We had good data as to how the team was going whereas heading into this we have lots of questions hanging over them."
One of the biggest ones revolves round the pivotal position of fly-half. Replacing Sexton after he retired following the 2023 quarterfinal defeat by the All Blacks was never going to be easy.
It had seemingly been finally filled after Jack Crowley, Sexton's understudy at the last World Cup, produced sparkling performances in wins over England and Scotland in last season's Six Nations.
However, injury has kept the 26-year-old out of action since April and the pressure is back on Sam Prendergast to deliver after failing to make his mark when he has been tasked with the role.
Ross, though, believes Prendergast, 23, can handle the pretty harsh criticism he has received.
"I have been quite impressed how Sam Prendergast started the season, attacking the line, his variety of passing, and kicking quality," Ross said.
"He has taken hits but as a player you have two options: sink or swim, and he is swimming."
'VOTE OF CONFIDENCE'
Ross, capped 61 times and a member of two Six Nations title-winning sides before retiring in 2017, said if Prendergast flounders and Crowley fails to reach his previous heights, Joey Carbery could be a surprise contender.
The 31-year-old, who won the last of his 38 caps in 2022, returned to Leinster this season after a stint in France and his form has earned him a call up to an Ireland XV squad for a match with the Fiji A team later this month.
"I watched Leinster thrash Connacht recently and Joey Carbery had a great game," said Ross.
"He was definitely supposed to be Johnny Sexton's successor but things did not go for him whether through injury and form.
"If he can get back to where he was he could be a dark horse," added the 46-year-old.
Ross, who also won the European Cup twice with Leinster, says Farrell is blooding fresh talent or developing players who have usually started only against the second tier sides in the past.
Scrum-half Craig Casey is a prime example.
The 27-year-old is cursed to have been at Munster when Irish rugby great Conor Murray ruled the roost both there and internationally.
Of the 31 tests he played in only 10 have been as a starter and just one has been against one of the big guns, South Africa.
However, Farrell has given Casey the starting spot against Argentina, perhaps saving first choice Jamison Gibson-Park for the massive challenge of the world champion Springboks in a fortnight.
"Casey finally gets a serious match," said Ross.
"Farrell has been trying to widen the net and build depth which has always been a problem at the World Cup.
"This is a vote of confidence in him which is good.
"We do not want to be in a situation where if Gibson Park goes down during the World Cup it is a situation of oh we put all those minutes into him who do we turn to?"