O'Sullivan must look after esprit de corps

Eddie O'Sullivan made a decision to extend to the players that underachieved against Namibia the chance to redress the balance by retaining primarily the same side against Georgia. Shane Horgan's successful rehabilitation from a knee injury guaranteed his return to the starting team, irrespective of Andrew Trimble's performance or damaged finger.

It's a reasonable option at face value and one that can be supported by several arguments. In essence he's saying to the players the display against Namibia was an aberration, one he expects them to recover from by establishing the requisite momentum against Georgia.

He's looking to restore confidence among a group of players. When viewed against the the heights of the Six Nations Championship, Ireland's pre-World Cup form dipped dramatically, particularly the Scotland match at Murrayfield and the Italian match in Belfast - a game they could and possibly should have lost depending on your view of Ronan O'Gara's late try.

O'Sullivan needs to get the team playing well, but in opting to retain his first-choice selection he'll have to manage the overall squad's morale very carefully. Had Ireland played well against Namibia he would have made changes for the Georgian game, but now he has decided not to take that option.

If you're a player it's human nature to look at things from a slightly selfish perspective. Several might have thought they stood a chance of getting some game time in the wake of the Namibia match but now find themselves consigned to the periphery, barring injury.

This has to be handled carefully and sensitively within a squad; otherwise it could have an unsettling effect.

Morale is important, not just within a team but within a squad, and a coach must be conscious of that. What O'Sullivan has effectively decided is that he is going to play the same team, unless injuries intervene, for the remaining matches.

In the event of players getting injured and having to be replaced, the fact the team has remained largely unaltered means those coming in have had little or no game time. You're therefore asking them to acclimatise really quickly.

It's a very difficult situation for the coach and it's really been brought about by sluggish form on the run-in to the tournament and a disappointing display in the opening match. Having received the support of the management it's now up to the players to reciprocate by producing a high-quality performance.

It's relatively straightforward to identify the areas where Ireland need to improve. They have to dominate up front, establish the platform. That doesn't mean getting involved in a war of attrition or having an arm-wrestle for two yards of turf.

The Irish pack have to dictate the points of contact and be smart about what they want to do. The points of contact build the foundation of any performance. No matter who you're playing a team thrives first on honesty, composure and precision.

It's all well and good looking to put pace on the game but mentally you have to stay sharp and focused. Ireland crave quick ball because it gives time and space to launch their backs but you also have to tie in defenders.

There's no point in repeatedly asking backs to pick their way through a mass of bodies in midfield.

O'Gara has got to play shallower, less deep, so that he is considered a running threat. If your scrumhalf and outhalf don't offer a running threat it allows the opposition to drift and pack the midfield.

I'd like to see O'Gara stand up to the line and take it up on a couple of occasions just to keep the Georgians guessing.

Geordan Murphy played really well in the game against Scotland prior to the tournament and I think he has the skills set to cause the Georgians problems. Hopefully he will get the opportunity from the bench.

Ireland may choose to take a leaf out of the Munster playbook and work field position and grind down the opposition for about 60 minutes before cutting loose. As Argentina showed in the closing stages against Georgia the gaps do open up.

I'd like to see Ireland use more short line-outs and try and get David Wallace and Denis Leamy, their primary ball carriers, running at the opposition.

Ireland need to restore confidence and belief into the way they are playing and that will be as important a component of any victory against Georgia as the bonus point.

They need some momentum going into the French match because another substandard outing and the doubts will still be there. The home nation is under massive pressure and you'd like to ramp that up a notch or two before Friday week.

On a slightly different note, I have been heartened by the performances of the so-called minnows to date. They have shown that with a little bit of financial support and a better lead-in time to the tournament they could become even better and that would be great for the sport.

For Ireland though it's about 80 minutes of being professional, patient and precise and laying a foundation for the tougher battles ahead.