Not cocky, just confident

Ireland may not beat England tomorrow, but they know they've every right to be on the same pitch, will last every minute and have every chance of winning. And despite the stunning upsets of 1993 and 1994, it wasn't always thus.

Conveying that sense of equanimity at their final press conference yesterday in the Berkeley Court, it was put to the Irish management that Irish teams may be slightly awed by their English counterparts. Warren Gatland smiled and nodded vigorously, but then revealed a different mentality exists now.

"That (awe) may have been there a few years ago," the Irish coach conceded, "but at the end of today's session the question was asked, `Which Irish player didn't think he was better than his counterpart?'

Not too many wouldn't have fancied themselves taking on their opposites on Saturday."

That would have been a fitting culmination of the Irish sessions this week as the mood cranked up each day. Tuesday's work-out drew a surprisingly large turn-out for the first time to Dr Hickey Park (which shows what just one win can do) and was, accordingly, riddled with errors. Wednesday's was better, but, with the camera crews and photographers lured to Stradbrook, it may as well have been private (which shows what happens when the English are in town). And yesterday's was private and, we're told, the best yet.

Like the French game, Ireland enters the fray expecting to win, said Gatland. "So maybe that gives you some indication. We're looking forward to the game on Saturday and, against one of the best teams in the world, we're optimistic that we can give a good account of ourselves."

On foot of Ireland declaring their hand first, Clive Woodward concurred with the notion that Victor Costello's return met with a certain horses-for-courses thinking. Gatland saw his counterpart's subsequent offering in a similar vein.

"They've picked a team definitely to play Ireland. (Matt) Perry might be a little bit safer under the high ball than (Nick) Beal looked against Scotland, although I'm a little bit surprised that they did make three changes. But that's their decision."

As an aside, Kyran Bracken's recall, along with Killian Keane's promotion to the bench, means two team-mates of the Skerries' Leinster under-14 Cup winning team could come into closer contact than their respective international jerseys which now adorn the showcase in Holmpatrick.

Paddy Johns reckoned that the selection of his Saracens team-mate Bracken brought "more abrasive" virtues to the English team, though he added, diplomatically, that "both are world-class scrum-halves so it didn't matter who they picked". That softly-spoken off-field persona still doesn't tally with our image of the frontline on-field Irish leader.

As someone who sets high standards for himself and his team, Gatland envies England's recent record, though perhaps not the media-led pressures that accompany English teams. "Perhaps the publicity about England was over hyped, and they were a little bit disappointed about their performance against Scotland.

"But you can't take away the fact that England have beaten South Africa, come close to Australia and drawn with New Zealand in the last year-and-a-half. If Scotland, or Wales or ourselves did that we'd be over the moon.

"England have set high standards and are under a lot of pressure to perform match-in, match-out, especially under the intense media and public pressure which they do come under."

England expects certain standards, but part of the new-found feel-good factor within Irish rugby has come only with the belated but definite benefits of professionalism. Not being able to last 80 minutes, according to Donal Lenihan, has been put to bed once and for all.

"The benefits of professionalism were always going to take two or three years to come through. You don't pay a player today and he becomes a better player tomorrow. But I think the one game that put that to bed was against South Africa in November, when we came back from conceding 14 points just after the interval to have the best of the last 30 minutes."

Another old chestnut, that of Irish ill-discipline, was also put to bed at Wembley, according to Lenihan, albeit after 12 months of some hard lessons. Nor would the sight of the red rose (which in the past could be akin to a red rag) revive that problem, he confidently predicted.

Wembley set the benchmark for colour and noise in Lansdowne Road as well, as to a degree did the colourful Ulster hordes in the European Cup final. (Some thumping U2/Thin Lizzy/Chieftains/whatever tracks wouldn't be amiss beforehand). But despite the memories of two years ago, when England's 46-6 win echoed to Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Lenihan had no fears that the English corporate sector and the clubs' selling-off of their prized assets would prompt a repeat.