Game on as O'Sullivan opts for A team

Rugby World Cup/Pool A:Afforded, in effect, two chances to get to the 2003 World Cup semi-finals, Ireland have decided they are not, after all, inclined to pass up the first one.

Despite musings to the players and public that they should target the quarter-finals the following weekend, most probably against France, Eddie O'Sullivan has put what he clearly hopes will be Ireland's best foot forward in the Pool A decider against Australia in Melbourne tomorrow. So it's game on after all.

A clever curve ball? Or a volte face of sorts? Neither of those simplified verdicts perhaps, but a rethink of some sort seems to have taken place. For starters it's not O'Sullivan's style to hoodwink press galleries or, by extension, opponents. Besides, Australia are unlikely to have been fooled and Ireland were always going to announce their team by yesterday anyhow.

"No, it was a straightforward selection. It didn't take particularly long," said O'Sullivan, but perhaps he doth protest too much. There must have been some debate surely, all the more so after affording himself an additional 48 hours to properly assess the squad's mental and physical state.

That was sensible. Why rush himself, management and squad alike into something when there was no need to? Bumps and bruises no doubt healed, minds became refreshed. But, perhaps most important of all was the mindset of Keith Wood.

No Irish captain in recent times has had such a profound influence and it was always hard to countenance the Bald Wonder stepping back. It ain't his style. If Ireland lose their next two games, then, most probably, Wood would only have two games left in his magnificent career. Why give himself only one?

Not playing Wood - captain, talisman and chief motivator - would have sent out all the wrong messages to the rest of the squad. And once Wood was locked and loaded, to coin a phrase, then it would have made increasingly less sense to hold anyone else back.

Hence there are only three changes to the team that played Argentina, and two of those were enforced by injuries to back row members Alan Quinlan (bruised shoulder) and Victor Costello (thigh strain). In their stead come the fit-again Anthony Foley and the restored Keith Gleeson, with O'Sullivan also preferring Ronan O'Gara to David Humphreys.

The three changes all bring in players who are straining at the leash for a combination of reasons, and with Quinlan sadly homeward bound, it's comforting to have another Munster dog in the back row. Sure, it's all about Team Ireland in the professional era, but ever since they kickstarted the rejuvenation almost four years ago, having anything less than half a dozen Munster players in the starting line-up always makes one a bit queasy.

This is also a team at last designed to play the wider, running game which has become its trademark for much of the last four years. O'Gara attacked the gain line harder and straighter than Humphreys when he came on last week, and both Kevin Maggs and Brian O'Driscoll immediately started to do so as well.

While Ireland have been prolific against the second or third tier nations during their run of 18 wins out of 20, in which time they've scored 80 tries, only three of those tries have come in the six clashes against top-flight opposition (Australia, Argentina, France and England). Going back further, that haul is six in 10 and Ireland haven't been particularly penetrative or creative off their own ball at this World Cup.

Refreshingly, O'Gara was his self-confident and hungry self in making all the right noises yesterday. "I think it's important for us to have a go as a back line on Saturday," he said. "We haven't yet this season, I would say, so I think it's important that we try to play as flat as we can, and try to get Drico (O'Driscoll) free, which hasn't been happening as of yet."

Asked whether this was the main part of his role, he answered: "Yes, definitely, 100 per cent. I've got to try to hold the space on the inside, and try to hold Larkham and to a small extent Flatley, and then give Drico the room to manoeuvre on the outside."

Encouragingly too, Australia has generally provided a positive thread throughout O'Driscoll's career, but another concern is where the hard yards are going to come closer in. In the absence of Costello, only Foley is a notable ball-carrier in the back row and he'll need to extract a few more yards than is his norm. So, too, will Wood and Paul O'Connell, while one senses a massive game will be required from Maggs if Ireland are to upset the odds.

With no Rob Henderson in reserve, it seems a pity therefore that David Wallace isn't at least a potential weapon from the bench, in much the same way Eddie Jones has preferred Lote Tuqiri as an impact winger more than a utility back.

Ireland team

G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, K Maggs, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; R Corrigan, K Wood (captain), J Hayes, M O'Kelly, P O'Connell, S Easterby, K Gleeson, A Foley.Replacements: S Byrne, M Horan, D O'Callaghan, E Miller, G Easterby, D Humphreys, J Kelly.