O'Sullivan defends plan for players

Eddie O'Sullivan yesterday attempted to end the province versus international player availability debate of recent weeks.

On RTÉ radio O'Sullivan said the current policy of phasing international players back in at different periods of the season was agreed by the provincial managements in May.

He also stressed the need for the 10-week pre-season for all home-based players in order to reach the required level of fitness to compete with the elite nations at the next World Cup.

"We have a very small pool of professional rugby players and we've made some strategic decisions. One is that the players play 30 games per season or less. That's been in for a while and is accepted," said the Irish coach

"This year we've brought in another stipulation, which is that our international players have a 10-week pre-season fitness training block to make them fitter, faster, stronger."

O'Sullivan pointed to Ireland's physical inferiority on the recent South Africa tour as a reason to keep the current format in place.

"If we're going to compete at the top level over the next three or four years, we have to put that block in. If anyone saw us over the summer against South Africa, you'll have seen how big the South Africans were compared to us, and you'll see it again in the autumn."

Leinster and Munster are the two sides most handicapped by the current rules.

This week, Leinster manager Paul McNaughton reacted angrily to the manner in which two Munster international front row players (John Hayes and Frankie Sheahan) were released to play, while Shane Byrne and Reggie Corrigan are still being held over.

O'Sullivan added that the Provinces were told that certain players would come back early based based on the progress they had made in their programme, the point they were at in their career, the position they play in and in some cases where they hadn't played a whole lot of rugby in the previous year. "

Ulster and Connacht's only real loses (David Humphreys and Bernard Jackman) have also been made available for Celtic League action.