O'Sullivan tweaks and tinkers while keeping powder dry

The Irish squad are on relatively unfamiliar terrain this week in the splendiferous surrounds and gothic mansion of the Culloden Estate and Spa on the Bangor Road, outside Belfast, preparing for Friday's first test at Ravenhill in 54 years.

But Eddie O'Sullivan was on more accustomed ground when, save for three notable absentees, unveiling his first-choice team yesterday.

Clearly behind group rivals France in terms of match tuning and squad strength at this juncture, Ireland are mindful of the need for an ultra-positive send-off to RWC 2007 in front of a capacity Ravenhill crowd (kick-off 7.45pm).

To that end, O'Sullivan has named a dozen of his chosen XV who were spared the summer trek to Argentina if not last Thursday's bruiser in Bayonne.

The only change in personnel sees Geordan Murphy selected on the right wing in the continuing absence of Shane Horgan.

Andrew Trimble moves to inside to fill the considerable boots of one Brian O'Driscoll. And backrow Neil Best is retained at openside pending David Wallace's hoped-for recovery from a recurring ankle problem in time for the World Cup opener against Namibia on Sunday fortnight.

Despite the proximity of the World Cup, a little unnervingly there is no natural, proven understudy at outside centre or openside, the latter in part because of squad selection.

Kieran Lewis and Barry Murphy were each given one test in Argentina at 13 - neither doing justice to his talents - and now it is Trimble's turn.

Acknowledging it was a full-strength side save for injuries, O'Sullivan expressed the belief a Gordon D'Arcy-Trimble midfield combination was the best available to him and added, "Hopefully that will be proven on Friday night. There's still an element of looking at combinations and stuff . . . I suppose having injuries does force your hand a wee bit in tinkering with those combinations."

To that end, O'Sullivan intimated that though Neil Best would wear seven, the back row "might be moved around" against Italy. Against Bayonne, Best was tried there with more apparent success than Stephen Ferris, winning a couple of balls on the deck and supporting in attack without being tested as much in defence, but then again that was against a club side whereas Ferris was in a losing battle against Scotland.

"I think they both did very well, but I think in terms of out-and-out seven play Neil did very well," said O'Sullivan.

"He's played there for Ulster as well, which has given him a bit of experience, but I think, as well, the other guy I have in the back of my mind who could fill that role would be Denis Leamy, and it would depend on whether you were attacking or defending; there's all sorts of combinations and permutations."

That, of course, would raise the question of who would play at number eight, for there is no proven, specialist understudy in that position either. Ferris has been recalled to the bench, O'Sullivan stating his belief that the young Ulsterman can cover the entire back row.

"To be honest I'm not 100 per cent sure on everything there in the sense that there's a little bit of shuffling around, but what I'm confident is that we're getting our best footballers on the pitch."

Nor, he repeated, because of the make-up of Ireland's pool fixtures in France and the possibility of a three-way tie decided by points difference, is he set on playing his first-choice team in the opening match: "We'll have to box a bit clever."

O'Sullivan admitted France were "very impressive" in beating England in Marseilles, in what was also an interesting contrast with their performance in Twickenham the week before, when les Bleus had played with more width in the first half.

"But there were no frills last Saturday. It was pretty much steamroller rugby and they did huge damage in the collisions."

As for Argentina's seven-point defeat in Cardiff, O'Sullivan ventured, "I think the second half was the Pumas, the first half wasn't the Pumas. They started hanging onto the football and taking (it) through phases, and classic counterattacking rugby. They were devastating in broken play."

Italy will provide the anticipated, muscular opposition. "It will be robust, fast, intense and passionate," predicted O'Sullivan.

The sense of "occasion" that accompanies this week's game in Ravenhill is palpable, and when the former Ulster and Ireland captain Paddy Johns visited the squad he admitted he didn't have a ticket as he was on holidays when they went on sale.

The squad's mood has been helped by two days of rare, back-to-back sunshine.

But amid all the shadow boxing, Ireland have had to keep their powder dry.

"All our lineouts won't be used again," said O'Sullivan. "What you're seeing at the moment won't be used in the World Cup. Our set plays would be in our back pocket as well and there are other bits and pieces; your kicking game out of your defensive zone is kept under wrap.

"But what doesn't change is that there are going to be rucks and mauls, scrums and lineouts, and tackles, and you play those as best you can. But everyone's at that. I wouldn't be reading anything into anything I've seen in any of the warm-up games."

O'Driscoll will resume fitness training this week and, according to O'Sullivan, he and Horgan are "on track", though Horgan will have another scan next week.

Wallace had "a bit of a setback a couple of weeks ago" to his "chronic" ankle problem and is being kept away from contact work, but O'Sullivan said, "I hope to start him in the first game of Rugby World Cup. I'm not worried about it but it can be something that flares up so management is the issue there."

Such have been the advances in conditioning, medical back-up and support from outside rugby that at this juncture, say, a decade ago all three casualties would probably have been ruled out.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, maybe even five years ago, and in some ways the professional game drives the medical end on," said the coach.