Ireland ready for big week
Eddie O’Sullivan’s Ireland team headed to Adelaide today at full strength and braced for the World Cup hype to hit them.
Confirmation that lock Paul O’Connell would not be cited for the alleged stamping on opposite number Archie Graham during Sunday’s win over Namibia was a vindication of O’Sullivan’s unqualified backing of his player.
Even more importantly, it reinforced his squad depth as Ireland’s campaign finally cranks into top gear.
Hidden away at their Central Coast base in Terrigal, the Irish team have largely been shielded from the frenzied competition coverage. But now their opening two games have been completed, Ireland will be exposed to the full glare of publicity as they prepare to meet Argentina on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals and then hosts Australia in their final Pool A match on November 1.
And, having racked up 109 points in their hammerings of Romania and Namibia, O’Sullivan believes his team could not be in better shape as they step into the most intense period of their campaign.
“We have two wins, two bonus points and lots of tries,” he said.
“We might not have been able to produce the game we wanted so far but if someone had told me we would be in this position at this point in the tournament we would have taken it.
“We have done the job we had to do and now we move onto a really big week.
“Given the importance of Sunday’s match I am sure the hype will be pretty intense, particularly when you consider we are moving from a quiet backwater in Terrigal.
“But the mood in the camp is good and we are ready to change gears.”
O’Sullivan will not announce his team to face the Pumas until tomorrow but Ronan O’Gara is pushing to retain the fly-half jersey at the expense of David Humphreys after an excellent performance in difficult conditions at Aussie Stadium at the weekend.
The remainder of the back division almost picks itself, while in the pack, Eric Miller may keep his place, with Victor Costello slotting in at number eight ahead of Anthony Foley.
One man certain to be involved is O’Connell, who received the 24th birthday present he craved when citing commissioner Douglas Hunter confirmed no action would be taken over the Graham incident despite loud Namibian protests.
The decision came as no surprise to O’Sullivan, who had described it as “innocuous”.
“We are obviously delighted to hear the news that there is no case to answer,” he said.
“But to be perfectly honest I never felt there was a case.”
