O'Sullivan focuses on Scottish backlash

On the lower of the tiered pitches in St Gerard's School, Eddie O'Sullivan's triumphant band push scrum machines around the grass. If a scene ever knocked that almost intoxicating feeling of achievement, which radiated from the Ireland team after Saturday's win, here it was.

Back at the coal mine. All red ears and pinched faces on a day swept with showers and sun. In understanding how Ireland got to where they are now and how they are going to get to where they wish to go, then this was the money shot.

O'Sullivan's view is that the glory from England is as much part of the past as the bitterness of the French defeat. The two could wreck heads if he allowed them, so he treats both imposters the same. The French result could fester, the England triumph could usher in a false sense of security. The Ireland coach is wise to both and as the players return to the comfort of their drills and grunt work, it is the image of Scotland that dominates the horizon.

"The thing about Scotland is that they are having their ups and downs. They started their season, got well beaten by England and I'd say they were very unhappy with the scores they gave up," says O'Sullivan.

"Their response was to bounce back and they pummelled the hell out of Wales. They will be very disappointed with their performance against Italy and I can only expect that they will come back and try and pummel a win out of Ireland. They are very capable of it up in Murrayfield. France went there last year and got turned over, England went there and got turned over.

"Of course there are favourites for every game but any given Saturday anything can happen. Italy proved that last weekend against Scotland and there is no doubt about the fact that we are playing the Scotland that beat Wales. I think they'll bounce back."

While his critics are quick to point out that a Triple Crown is the lesser of the two baubles and in the fever pitch of expectation that surrounds this Ireland team it should be considered a failure, O'Sullivan is quick to disagree. While the Championship is out of Ireland's hands for now, the Triple Crown can be of the team's own making. For the coach it is a "no-brainer".

"It would be very disappointing to lose given where we are at the moment," he says. "Absolutely. The game against England . . . we'd a great day out and we've got to park it now. I'm not taking anything for granted at all. I've always been one for that and if we let the last two games slip away because we lose focus, we'll have to be very harsh on ourselves.

"I think that with the momentum we've got there is a Triple Crown in the offing now. I'd like to make sure we cross that line. If we do that and then focus on the last game (v Italy), in a worst-case scenario we could finish second in the championship and in a best-case scenario we could maybe win it. That's where the heads are at the moment."

Success and failure have always been the flip sides of the same coin and Ireland have found themselves in a position that to find success they need to win twice more. A defeat and even a draw with either the Scots or Italy would be a poor return.

It would lead to accusations of underachieving.

"I suppose you could go that road with it," says O'Sullivan a little uncomfortable with the thought. "Of course this team is good enough to win a Triple Crown, a Grand Slam and a championship. That all changed in two minutes of rugby against France. I don't see any value in dwelling on it. What you always do when things go right or things go wrong is that you reset your goals. The goals we set for ourselves now are a Triple Crown and maybe a championship.

"We'd be foolish to say that because we're not going to win a Grand Slam, we won't bother with anything. At the end of the day, I'm disappointed but I'm not going to beat myself to death about it, nor should the team. You can focus on what you can control and that's the last two games. If we win those then we'll see what happens. France have to go to Twickenham. The key is to give yourself a chance."

O'Sullivan said before the Six Nations began that the two things that could determine Ireland's run was the injury profile in the team and a slice of luck. They came up short in both areas for the first Croke Park match. For now, O'Sullivan's logic seems eminently pragmatic. "Focus on Scotland," he says. "Park France."