O'Sullivan makes the tough calls

Three key questions were asked of Eddie O'Sullivan ahead of naming his team to take the field in the  Six Nations opener against Wales in the Millennium Stadium on Sunday, and the Ireland coach answered them today with a fair and frank assessment. It was all down to "form".

At hooker, Rory Best has been the most consistent performer of late, with Jerry Flannery having played very little rugby since recovering from injury.

The Munsterman's 40-minute outing for Shannon was enough to take the bench spot ahead of Frankie Sheahan, however.

O'Sullivan saw this a little different from those on the outside, admitting today that the "difficult call was the bench call".

He said: "In fairness to Rory, I think he had an outstanding autumn and has retained that form . . . into the new year. Jerry Flannery has not a lot of rugby played but from what I've seen his form has been excellent, and his work rate has been very high.

"Tough call on Frank, but again I suppose its back to picking the form guys at the moment," the coach added.

Despite Neil Best's barnstorming showings in the Autumn, against Australia in particular, it is Simon Easterby who will start at blindside flanker having been an integral part of Llanelli's impressive march this season.

Easterby's lineout ability and knowledge of the Welsh game played some part, according to the coach, but in truth he is playing marginally better than Best.

"Simon just edged it out at the moment," said O'Sullivan. "It was the other way round in the autumn, but going on form, I think it's a form selection.

"He's [Easterby] a well established lineout jumper, that was a factor. His run of form in recent times is a factor, and, to be honest, that fact that we're playing Wales is a factor."

Shane Horgan's replacement on the right wing was a little trickier to call because of the options available in the back three, but it was Andrew Trimble who got the nod ahead of Geordan Murphy and Tommy Bowe.

The Ulster back's power may have swung it slightly, but it was over a period of games that O'Sullivan felt the call was justified.

Denis Hickie "played his way into the left wing", but it was "tough call . . . between Andrew and Geordan" said O'Sullivan, with the coach feeling that Trimble would give the "slight edge" needed in Cardiff.

O'Sullivan was concerned about the welfare of Malcolm O'Kelly last week, and that had not dissipated by this afternoon. The Leinster lock has been carrying a knock on his knee which is "wear and tear" rather than a specific injury.

Treatment has not induced the results the coach would have hoped for, and O'Kelly is therefore not considered; he is replaced by Mick O'Driscoll on the bench, and his Munster teammates Paul O'Connell and Donncha make the starting second row.

"At the moment he [O'Kelly] is not able to work flat out, and that is an issue in the long term; I am quite worried about it," a concerned O'Sullivan said of O'Kelly.

Gareth Jenkins's reluctance to pick a starting XV is not overly concerning O'Sullivan, but it has hampered things a little.

Wales are waiting on news of Gareth Thomas's ERC hearing after he was charged with "foul and abusive language" for his alleged part in the fracas between Toulouse's Trevor Brennan and the Ulster fans.

Wales may also have the bonus of naming Shane Williams and Mark Jones in the first team after the wingers made unlikely progress in their battle to overcome hip and ankle injuries, respectively.

Though reluctant to be drawn on the options, or lack of them, available to Jenkins ahead of the weekend, O'Sullivan dismissed the suggestion that the Welsh possess a weak pack as "nonsense".

Ireland (v Wales):G Dempsey (Leinster); A Trimble (Ulster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), D Hickie (Leinster); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); M Horan (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).

Replacements:J Flannery (Munster), S Best (Ulster), N Best (Ulster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), I Boss (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster), G Murphy (Leicester).