No but some kind of defensive ability is a requirement.
Lowe will walk back into the team when he's fit and he will be targeted as he is poor.
Conway will probably have broken down again by the time the World Cup comes about.
Anyone who is optimistic about Irelands world cup prospects is out of their mind.
Lowe's defending isn't that awful. It's poor but not bad enough to make a great deal of difference to Ireland's defence, especially if Henshaw, Ringrose and Keenan are in the side, all of whom are good defenders.
I'm more optimistic about Ireland than I have been in a while. I think everyone will agree, Ireland haven't played at their potential for this autumn international series (at least in attack), and yet still beat Australia and South Africa.
What Ireland showed in games like the tests in NZ, England match and patches over the AI series, was an attacking pattern that, if they get it right, will be devastating. It's also not particularly reliant on any one individual's brilliance.
It's a difficult pattern to get right though, the timing of it is critical, as is the speed of ruck ball. Australia disrupted Ireland there, slowing things down, so clearly that's a vulnerability.
Anyway, it isn't exactly all doom and gloom, it's clear few are getting at all carried away like happened in 2018. Roll on the six nations.
France are the red hot favourites for this world cup, anyone who believes otherwise hasn't a clue.