O'Connor is the main doubt

Ireland team to play Argentina: Given the chance Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is no different from any other coach in that granting a seal of approval to a starting XV and their replacements indicates a state of relatively rude health.

Certainly there was little wrong in the performance of all those who contributed to the historic and breakthrough 17-12 win over the Springboks last Saturday week and accordingly he has reinstated that line-up en bloc for this Saturday's renewal of rivalry with Argentina.

Well though the replacements and two debutants played, especially in the second-half, against the USA last Saturday in altogether different circumstances, even they wouldn't have been the least surprised they didn't force their way into the starting line-up.

O'Sullivan maintained he had an open mind until he saw the evidence of the performance against the Eagles, also bearing in mind the opposition and the type of game Ireland would play next Saturday.

"But when you boiled it down at the end of the day it would have been hard to change the side," he admitted, adding: "though it would have been unfair to the other players to say it wasn't a possibility."

There remains a number of injury concerns, most notably Johnny O'Connor, reinstated after his industrious debut against the South Africa, though it transpired he picked up a knee injury in training on Monday.

"He's made a pretty good recovery and we expect him to be fit for Saturday but we're going to wait until Thursday morning to make a final decision and Denis Leamy has been held in, in case the worst comes to the worst with Johnny." Against that, O'Connor did take part in intensive scrummaging and lineout maul practice yesterday.

Guy Easterby, who had missed Monday's session with the knee injury he picked up against the Eagles, and Peter Stringer, sidelined on Monday with a back strain, trained too, whereas David Humphreys didn't due to the groin strain which flared up on Sunday morning.

"The biggest concern would be Johnny O'Connor but I think he will be alright."

The "second-string" eight, buttressed by the presence of Emmet Byrne, Leo Cullen, Aidan McCullen and Leamy in addition to the four forward replacements, fairly tested the Irish pack's defence at scrums and lineout mauls in Terenure yesterday, and the aggressive edge to this session would probably have quietly pleased forwards coach Niall O'Donovan.

Los Pumas' unexpected 24-14 win in Marseille, so ending France's eight-match winning sequence, has upped the ante for Saturday's game, and should certainly dampen any delusions of grandeur amongst the public.

"They controlled the football very well," commented O'Sullivan after reviewing the tape of that victory, "especially in the second half. It was a very good performance, nothing more than you'd expect."

Although Argentina's win appeared to be founded on much of the same old virtues, O'Sullivan feels their game has evolved since Ireland won a taut World Cup pool game 16-15 last October in Adelaide.

"Their set-piece game is very strong, their close-quarter game is very strong and they have pace on the outside, and I've noted before that they've got one of the best counter-attacks in the world."

Confronted with this close-quarter emphasis on ball retention in the World Cup, O'Sullivan provoked widespread debate by opting for a heavyweight back row of Simon Easterby, Victor Costello and Alan Quinlan so as to meet Argentina in the trenches.

Of the changes since that day - Shane Byrne for the injured Keith Wood, Ronan O'Gara for David Humphreys, and Geordan Murphy for Kevin Maggs, with Shane Horgan switching to centre, the return of Anthony Foley (then injured) and a lighter, out-and-out openside in O'Connor - the most interesting is in the back row.

Explaining the rationale between the contrasting selections, O'Sullivan said: "We have developed our game since then. We're not the same team we were in the World Cup. I think we've improved in certain areas, we're more confident in certain areas and we've developed more strings to our bow. If you think back to Adelaide we're not comparing like with like.

"We are working towards a different type of game which we feel we can play with the players we have now. It wasn't exactly where we wanted to be to play that game which is now over a year ago. The last year has allowed us to move in different directions with our game."

At one time last season three different players had the privilege of leading out Ireland to mark their 50th cap in successive games, and the only way Brian O'Driscoll was going to have the honour was if he reached that landmark as well.

By contrast, Peter Stringer's 50th cap was reached via the tradesman's entrance, injury to Guy Easterby bringing about his introduction against the USA in the 67th minute amid little or no fanfare.

"For someone of his size and criticised for weaknesses in his game, he's notched up 50 caps and has been a cornerstone of the team, and given the backs we have at our disposal, his ability to release the back line has been crucially important," commented O'Sullivan.

"There aren't too many weaknesses in his game and if anyone punches above their weight in international rugby it's Peter Stringer. He's notorious for his doggedness in the tackle as much as anything else and what it does prove is that rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes when you see him alongside the likes of Paul O'Connell. And he's as important a cog in the machine as any of those guys are. Certainly it's a well-earned 50th cap for him and hopefully many more to come."

15 Girvan Dempsey (Leinster)

14 Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

13 Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt)

12 Shane Horgan (Leinster)

11 Denis Hickie (Leinster)

10 Ronan O'Gara (Munster)

9 Peter Stringer (Munster)

1 Reggie Corrigan (Leinster)

2 Shane Byrne (Leinster)

3 John Hayes (Munster)

4 Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster)

5 Paul O'Connell (Munster)

6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli)

7 Johnny O'Connor (Wasps)

8 Anthony Foley (Munster)

REPLACEMENTS: F Sheahan (Munster), M Horan (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), E Miller (Leinster), G Easterby (Leinster), D Humphreys (Ulster), K Maggs (Ulster).