Learning to kick past disappointments to touch

David Humphreys prefers not to dwell on the past. The focus, unsurprisingly, is on the Six Nations Championship and more specifically, Ireland's opening game against England at Twickenham tomorrow. Life is not that simple though and the 28-year-old out-half has been asked to address Ulster's European eclipse, the disappointment of the World Cup and his own personal well-being in the media this week.

Unfailingly polite and articulate he is nevertheless human and occasionally bristles at what he must consider a negative line of questioning: there is little respite. Ronan O'Gara's performances for Munster threatened Humphreys pre-eminence as Ireland's first choice out-half, until injury denied the Cork Constitution man an opportunity to force the national team management to embrace a difficult decision.

Humphreys is candid and does not skirt around the issue or offer platitudes. So does he feel under pressure? "No, not at all. It does not worry me from a sense that the more players, in an Irish context, playing well, the better. Hopefully I can play well enough to ensure a place on the team, but if someone is playing better then they deserve to be there. You have got to look at it that way.

"Ups and down, that is what sport is all about. You have to be able to deal with the downs as well as the ups. Unfortunately Ulster hasn't worked out for whatever reason but that is gone now and I am looking forward to the challenge of the Six Nations.

"The two teams (England and Ireland) have come off the back of pretty disappointing World Cup campaigns. There is no doubt that the level of expectation is very low, not from ourselves but from the public . . . and yourselves (the media). England find themselves in the same situation. It's going to be very difficult going there but at the same time we are confident, positive."

Humphreys makes a fleeting mention of the World Cup defeat by Argentina in Lens, patently loath to dredge through a painful memory that the team are desperate to exorcise. "Yes we have a point to prove. We were disappointed with that performance but we are moving on. We're better than that. I will be approaching this game in the same way as any other international."

Humphreys accepts the point that Irish players have struggled to translate provincial form over the last couple of seasons to the international arena. "That's the disappointing thing for us. Over the past couple of seasons the provinces have done very well against the top European sides. We haven't been able to translate it into the international scene on a regular basis. We have produced the occasional performance but we have got to strive, as we have said every year, to produce them on a regular basis."

The Dungannon out-half pointed out the positive influence of new Ireland assistant coach Eddie O'Sullivan stating: "Eddie's come in and worked on two or three things that we have wanted to do. We have worked very hard on those things and he has been very positive, very encouraging. He's keen that we go out and play rugby."

Humphreys wouldn't mind a repeat of his virtuoso performance for Oxford in the Varsity match of 1996 and conceded it was a venue in which he enjoyed playing and more importantly kicking. "The two or three times I have played there, it's been grand. Hopefully it won't be too windy."

He remains a crucial player and if Ireland are to prevail then Humphreys will be central to any victory.