Ireland poised for last hurrah

AUSTRALIA v IRELAND Gerry Thornleytalks to defensive coach Graham Steadman who remains confident of of a positive Irish performance at the Telstra Dome

DESPITE ALL the fears that the well must be in danger of running dry, Graham Steadman, in typically bullish eve-of-match mode, asserted that preparation and training under Michael Bradley's "nice, relaxed approach" had been snappy and focused, and "boded well" for tomorrow's Test against the Wallabies (kick-off 8.05am Irish time).

The "good feel there" in the Irish camp, according to Steadman, is also in spite of frustration over their training venues, with players talking of a near rock-hard cricket pitch for training on Wednesday, and a hard, slanting surface yesterday when switched to Harlequins rugby club.

In citing the finer detail of setpiece and defence as key to the outcome, Irleand's defensive coach readily acknowledged running threats from Luke Burgess at nine, Matt Giteau at 10 and Stirling Mortlock. But he also spoke of "nullifying their excitement with pressure", and in view of exciting midfield combinations in both ranks forecast "a cracking spectacle".

Analysing the Wallabies is more difficult with Robbie Deans in charge of a remodelled team for the first time, and Steadman admitted they've spent as much time studying the Crusaders' defensive systems and also "the execution of one or two of their set-piece or phase-one attack options. So it is a little bit of a guessing game but what we've got to do is trust ourselves and our system, and if we work hard off the ball and get up in their faces and cut down their thinking time and space, I think we could cause them problems. I think for long periods last week we did that against a world-class back line."

Valid point, although that actually is easier to do when sodden conditions take the pace off the ball, whereas the Telstra Dome's closed roof will make for more open and defensively testing conditions.

Although it had been a long hard season, the players "had no excuse to look for an excuse. They have a job to do and the two sessions we've had to date have been quality. Everybody's been very positive and, while the proof will be in the pudding on Saturday, I've no doubt that these guys will front up and deliver a performance which Ireland can be proud of."

David Wallace's calf strain sidelined him from training yesterday when the Irish squad went through a quick session of no more than about 40 minutes, in which Shane Jennings again ran with the team.

Mention of Gary Ella's assertion earlier in the week that the Wallabies should target Brian O'Driscoll as he was "not the world's greatest defender" prompted Steadman to describe the Irish captain as world-class.

"In my experience of Brian over the last three years, he's one of the best decision-makers in tight situations. Whether it be one-v-one or two-v-one against him, he rarely gets beaten. So whoever has come out with that statement should have a look at rugby again."

In Wellington last Saturday as a TV pundit, Christian Cullen voiced what is no doubt the feeling of many, namely that the Munster players don't play with the same passion when they play for Ireland.

Steadman, also a former Munster defensive coach, said: "I've never detected that in four and a half years working in Irish rugby.

"There is a different feeling down there, because obviously they're a close-knit group, and when you get the guys together in this kind of environment in a short period of time, it's up to us to gel those players, but I don't think there's a massive difference between the environment of Munster and the set-up here."

In response to one former Irish international's comments that these end-of-season tours were actually just games at the end of the season and not particularly enjoyable, manager Joey Miles asserted this group of players were "particularly ambitious" as well as being "perfectionists".

Reflecting on last week's 21-11 defeat to the All Blacks, Niall O'Donovan conceded the six lost lineouts in Wellington were more down to Ireland's "inaccuracy" than the All Blacks' defence, of which a couple were down to inaccurate throws, but a couple more where the wrong call went into the hooker and two more where the throw was on the money but slipped through the hands (of Donncha O'Callaghan and Jamie Heaslip).

Of the latter, which led to Marcus Horan's ill-discipline for the fateful penalty at 11-all, O'Donovan said: "He was up in the air on his own at the tail. The ball was possibly a fraction out but we still should have got our hands on it, and I think the call was right."

Nonetheless he also maintained that "we put 75/80 per cent of our ball between four and two" while Jerry Flannery's easiest ball is to the tail. "I have no problem with these guys going long."

Nor was O'Donovan taking the Wallabies' scrum lightly, recalling that two years ago in Perth the Australian scrum took two strikes against the head.