Tough centre continues to thrive in time of adversity

Ireland v Australia/Interview with Morgan Turinui: As Alan Gaffney warned Australian coach Eddie Jones, a young centre called Andrew Trimble will get a run on the Ireland team tomorrow, with Shane Horgan shifted to the wing.

It means Morgan Turinui's focus has honed in on Gordon D'Arcy, leaving man-mountain Lote Tuqiri to shepherd the 21-year-old Ulster flyer.

Turinui had seen plenty of the Horgan-D'Arcy combination having followed the progress of his former Randwick coaches Michael Cheika and David Knox. Maybe when he catches up with the two for dinner this week further light will be shed on Ireland's change of tack.

"Ah no, I think his (Cheika) loyalties will lie with his boys," says the 23-year-old Waratah. "He is an Irish rugby union man now.

"We got the inside information from Alan Gaffney so we don't need anyone else, he knows Irish rugby inside out.

"We went through the squad with Alan and he's coached 80 per cent of them so that helped. And he's not that good a coach so there are a lot of weaknesses in their game," he says as the former Munster boss wanders into ear-shot.

"It was good to catch up with those two (Cheika and Knox) at the Australian ambassador's house last Sunday, though."

During a three-year collaboration at Randwick the trio never ended up in a losing dressingroom over a 30-game stretch so Turinui understandably holds the Leinster coaches in high regard.

"David Knox is probably in the top three of rugby backline coaches I've ever seen. Alan Gaffney would be with him. He just has a great rugby mind. Cheiks, going back to his business background, is great at setting up structures - making sure the players are happy and all you have to worry about is playing. Together, they are a very potent coaching team."

The feeling is mutual. "Morgan will be in the Wallaby team for a long time to come yet," predicts Cheika. "He is a free-thinking player but moulds his own strengths to what the team needs. Like, I think his better position is outside centre yet he is at 12 to suit the team.

"His meeting with D'Arcy will be interesting but I coach Gordon now so he is my priority. Both players can make something out of nothing and both have scintillating pace off the mark."

Even before the injury epidemic hit Australia's backline, Turinui's granite-like, yet deceptively quick frame had cemented a place between Stephen Larkham and Sterling Mortlock. Just like the All Black experience last Saturday, Irish players will be made aware of his presence, be it attempting to curb his forward momentum or being smashed by all 15 and a half stone of him.

Although much has been made of the Australian losing streak, in many ways they are in the position that Irish rugby craves: an upward learning curve against elite teams.

Players like Drew Mitchell and Turinui have been thrown in at the deep end and survived. Come World Cup 2007 these two will be the leaders behind the scrum.

"It's been much publicised that this has been our worst run in 40 years and that's always tough," admits Turinui. "Through those losses, the Ellis Park game against South Africa in Jo'burg was the only game when we were dominantly outplayed. I think in all the other Test matches we had opportunities when the momentum shifted our way and we just didn't show maturity in executing our plays.

"We've played a pretty similar game since the last World Cup and only now this year are we trying to expand that. It puts us under a lot of pressure but hopefully, it will pay off at the back end of it. If we find three or four guys we can put in a World Cup 22 this tour has been a success."

While England climbed the Twickenham steps last Saturday to collect the Cook Cup, George Gregan gathered his troops around him to quickly move the focus on to the next challenge.

"It was actually a little pat on the back because we thought, general play-wise, we played with a lot of courage. We were lucky to be 16-all and we hadn't been in the game. We had 11 lineouts and two scrums where we could use the ball. You can't win a Test match like that but the fact is we stayed so close for so long.

"The thing to take into this week is maturity in our execution. We know now the way we are trying to play off phases and an up-tempo game works for us - if we just stay truthful to it and keep the faith during the game. We're not far away."