Hard knocks keep coming

RUGBY:The Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan needed only cast an eye over to the dugout at the side of the Stade Bordelais pitch yesterday to see how an already problematic week could actually deteriorate for him.

Fullback Girvan Dempsey, outhalf Ronan O'Gara, hooker Jerry Flannery, centre Brian O'Driscoll and scrumhalf Isaac Boss were gathering around the busiest man on the park, team doctor Gary O'Driscoll.

Dempsey, who had a shoulder in a sling after the game against France, has dispensed with that support but took no part in yesterday afternoon's session.

O'Gara, who had hobbled on to the train in Paris after injuring a calf, was also sidelined for the entire full-contact run-out, part of which took place in heavy rain. His exclusion from the hour-long session was later said to be precautionary.

O'Driscoll began the work-out but received a knock on the right knee and finished up alongside O'Gara with an icepack strapped to the leg.

Flannery did not last quite as long as his captain; he hurt his neck during a tackle on Simon Best in a ruck early in the session.

While in obvious pain from the "stinger", Flannery eventually got up to join the others on the bench.

Boss seemed the best of the lot with just a small cut over his left eye, which required three stitches.

Rory Best also took part in the training but did not go into contact. The Ulster prop, who injured a finger playing against Georgia, is now out of the protective cast and was able to engage in ball work.

A statement released later by team management said the injuries picked up during the training session were not serious.

All in all O'Sullivan must now weigh up who is going to be fit and who is not come Sunday when Ireland meet Argentina in Parc des Princes in Paris.

As most of the rugby world and his wife now knows, the struggling Irish have to run in four tries against a team that have yet to concede one try in three matches.

O'Sullivan will announce the team today at the squad base in Bordeaux and will have to do so hoping that his 10 and his 15, particularly, are available to him.

No one is quite sure how he is going to call it, though whatever team he selects will look somehow incomplete if those two players are marked absent.

A number of other positions are seen to be vulnerable. Andrew Trimble's left-wing spot is one, while it would surprise few if O'Sullivan were also to make changes in the back row and the second row.

Of the two incumbent locks, Paul O'Connell looks most secure given he is the occasional -captain.

Donncha O'Callaghan is seen to be the more vulnerable if a reshuffle is called for here.

In the back row, Simon Easterby was originally seen to be a possible target for change after the matches against Namibia and Georgia, but he redeemed himself with a stout contribution to the team against France.

Again, however, there would be few knitted brows if O'Sullivan made changes there too.

Dempsey, though, has been one of Ireland's few performers and has given a shaky team some stability at the back, while one possible replacement, Gavin Duffy, has yet to play in this World Cup.

Geordan Murphy would be the natural replacement at 15 as he plays there and on the wing for Leicester.

O'Sullivan explained his omission of Murphy last Friday by citing the player's previous difficulties in games against the French. The question is whether that also applies to playing against Argentina. With a four-try target, Murphy would seem to be one of Ireland's few game-breakers.

If O'Gara were to struggle with injury Paddy Wallace might be asked to step up.

The Ulster outhalf has been on the pitch for only a matter of minutes since the tournament began for Ireland on September 9th.