Last chance for Gatland's men

Outside of the touring party itself Irish optimism won't exactly be bountiful prior to today's second Test in Perth. Indeed, one presumes most Irish rugby folk back home will be inclined to watch today's game from behind, rather than on, the settee.

In short, Ireland are seeking to change the habits, if not of a lifetime, then of the last decade or so by improving significantly rather than ebbing badly in the second of a two-Test series at the Subiaco Oval (kick-off 6 p.m. local time, 11 a.m. Irish).

After a 10 or 11-month season, and with an even more intensive World Cup season ahead, minds can be forgiven for wandering off rugby and onto thoughts of wives/girlfriends, kids, home, summer holidays and the like. And that applies to the players too.

There are some disconcerting precedents of this theme as well, most notably in New Zealand in 1992 when a gallant 24-21 defeat in the first Test in Dunedin was followed by a 59-6 mauling a week later in Wellington. There was also the creditable 37-13 defeat in Blomefontein last summer, only to be followed by a 33-0 beating a week later in Pretoria.

Based on all of this historical baggage, and more pertinently last week's record 46-10 defeat to the Australians in Brisbane, people whose views are worth respecting back home in Ireland are muttering dark forecasts that "this could be a 60-pointer".

Needless to say Warren Gatland doesn't think so, although he'd be forgiven for giving up on his repeatedly under-achieving players. They've provided enough false dawns to even encourage roosters to have a lie-in, the latest of them being that tour opener against NSW Country.

But at the risk of repeating myself, the training of the last week has not only been the best, but the shortest, sharpest and most practical of the tour. It culminated in a highly secretive training session at kick-off time in the Subiaco Oval on Wednesday night which Gatland claimed was not only the best of the tour but perhaps of his tenure.

Aside from the gifted David Humphries, a straining-at-the-leash Jeremy Staunton and Jonathan Bell were flying. And it now so happens that both have come into the reckoning today. Matt Mostyn has been ruled out with a pulled hamstring picked up on Wednesday evening, hence Bell makes his first tour start on the left-wing in the fourth change from last week.

Furthermore, Mike Mullins strained knee ligaments in Thursday's session and so Staunton - the only remaining squad member without a tour start - is promoted to the bench. The 19-year-old rookie who began the season on the Munster A bench, is thus in line to play for his ninth team of the season via his first cap. Somehow, you just know it's going to happen. It's in the tea leaves. Asked where would he consider playing Staunton as a sub, Gatland responded: "Anywhere."

Jeremy Davidson has also been declared fit to take his place on the bench, while the chosen blindside flanker Trevor Brennan has recovered from a stomach bug which had him quarantined yesterday and confined to bed.

So slick was Wednesday's session that Gatland was just left shaking his head, whereupon a smiling Dion O'Cuinneagain - knowing exactly what his coach was thinking - assured him that this time training would be reflected on match day. We shall see.

Certainly the emphasis on protecting the ball in the tackle with closer support, bridging and lower rucking ought to diminish David Wilson's disruptive influence to at least some degree. It is essential though that Ireland don't lapse into the kind of basic handling errors that just cannot be legislated for. On studying the video, Gatland revealed that, incredibly, not once did Ireland take their own set-piece ball beyond second phase and into third phase.

Ireland also conceded 18 lineouts, nine in each half, and a reduction by two or three per half is another target.

Among other things, this will require more percentage rugby in the bouts of end-to-end aerial ping-pong for which Southern Hemisphere sides, founded on the Super 12s, will indulge in patiently.

The Wallabies themselves are generally expected to apply more of the same, that is by punching through the channels around the fringes and up the middle until their continuity play eventually forces cracks. Nonetheless, it will be a surprise if Joe Roff isn't used more, whether out wide or coming off his wing and through the middle.

It will also be a surprise if Ireland's scrum retains an edge. Rod Macqueen pointedly referred to that in last week's post-match press conference and by all accounts has focussed on it heavily in training.

Aside from the dark mutterings of a 60-pointer, last week's soothsayer David Campese forecasts "roughly the same margin" on the basis that "Ireland will play a bit better and the Wallabies may be a little complacent".

The latter prediction has substance to it, what with England to come in the Centenary Test a week later. Sadly though, winning is not a realistic option, or put another way, it would be Ireland's greatest ever win. The last time a home union won a summer test on tour against the Southern Hemisphere big three was when England beat South Africa 32-15 in Pretoria five years ago following South Africa's re-admission to the world game, and one has to go back to Scotland's win in Australia in 1982 for the last one before that.

However, another scenario is that Ireland will improve significantly from the first Test. Such a touching belief in these underachievers might be considered well, touched, but unlike last year, they have a lot more arrows in their quiver now than defence, set-pieces and a kicking game. The trick will be to actually unload a few of them, put together some sustained passages of their own and unleash weapons like O'Cuinneagain, Wood, Humphreys and O'Driscoll, be genuinely competitive and eat into last week's margin.

We'll take that and then head home happy.

Australia: C Latham (Queensland); J Little (New South Wales), D Herbert (Queensland), T Horan (Queensland), J Roff (ACT); N Spooner (Queensland), G Gregan (ACT); D Crowley (Queensland), J Paul (ACT), P Noriega (ACT), T Bowman (New South Wales), D Giffin (ACT), M Cockbain (Queensland), T Kefu (Queensland), D Wilson (Queensland, capt). Replacements - M Burke (New South Wales), N Grey (New South Wales), C Whitaker (New South Wales), T Strauss (New South Wales), J Williams (ACT), G Panoho (Queensland), P Kearns (New South Wales).

Ireland: G Dempsey (Terenure); J Bishop (London Irish), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock), K Maggs (Bath), J Bell (Dungannon); D Humprheys (Dungannon), T Tierney (Garryowen); P Clohessy (Young Munster), K Wood (Harlequins), P Wallace (Saracens), P Johns (Dungannon), M O'Kelly (St Mary's), D T Brennan (St Mary's), O'Cuinneagain (unattached, capt), A Ward (Ballynahinch). Replacements - J Staunton (Garryowen), E Elwood (Galwegians), C Scally (Blackrock) D Corkery (Cork Constitution) R Corrigan (Lansdowne), R Nesdale (Newcaslte), J Davidson (Castres).

Referee: A Watson (South Africa).

The Australians are in a buoyant mood despite being unhappy with their performance in last week's record 46-10 win.

They received a timely boost ahead of the match after being inspired by the performance of Australia's cricketers who came back from the brink of defeat to secure a place in the World Cup final.