Japan 26 USA 39

USA skipper Dave Hodges admitted he was a worried man as Japan launched their second-half fightback at Gosford tonight.

The United States took a giant stride towards ending their unwanted World Cup record during a pulsating opening period against Japan in Gosford.

THE last eight of the World Cup is becoming more apparent following the weekend series of games.

Llanelli flanker Dave Hodges will win his 50th cap for the United States in their Pool B encounter with Japan in Gosford on Monday.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan identifies three individual elements greatly helping Ireland’s cause as rivalry intensifies in the Pool qualifying stages of Rugby World Cup, Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll and the Irish supporters.

Record-breaker Denis Hickie will not let his newly-achieved status as Ireland’s most-capped winger disturb his World Cup dream.

NAMIBIA have drastically altered their team and tactics for the game against Ireland tomorrow after the harsh lesson knocked into them by Argentina in Gosford this week.

IRELAND’S Easterby brothers are united in their determination to force themselves into Eddie O’Sullivan’s World Cup plans.

Ireland prop Reggie Corrigan is a major doubt for Sunday’s Pool A encounter with Namibia in Sydney.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN has added his tuppence-worth in the war of words over decoy runners between Australia’s Eddie Jones and England’s Clive Woodward — and the Irish coach has sided with the Wallaby.

The game of rugby has changed drastically since the door of professionalism was swung open in 1995. But some traditions still remain and Namibian coach Dave Waterstone was observing one as he came to terms with his side’s 67-14 World Cup hammering by Argentina in Gosford.

World Cup outsiders Namibia raised the roof at Gosford tonight with a defiant performance against highly-rated Argentina.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has admitted some teams have been disadvantaged by the World Cup draw – but he claimed the time for whinging was nine months ago.

Ireland 45 Romania 17

WALLABIES wonderboy Stephen Larkham is about to jump on Jonny Wilkinson’s status as the world’s best fly-half.

Romania are certain to be facing an early flight home but Keith Wood is adamant the East Europeans will have a major say in who advances out of the World Cup’s group of death.

Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda has backed Clive Woodward’s claim that Australia are bending the rules in their use of decoy runners.

Shane Horgan admitted tonight he feared he would never even make the World Cup let alone score a try in his opening game.

Irish talisman Keith Wood limped off after helping his team secure the World Cup start they craved.

Keith Wood has praised Ireland opponents Romania after today's Pool A clash in Gosford.

Shane Horgan has marked his return to the Irish fold with a try against Romania at Gosford.

Argentina captain Agustin Pichot would not be surprised to see Australia lift the World Cup in Sydney next month.

Eddie O’Sullivan will look to the skies when he wakes up tomorrow and hope the rain clouds have been blown away.

ROMANIA look set to go back to basics and batten down the hatches in Gosford's Central Coast Stadium tomorrow.

KEITH WOOD is back and according to the man himself, “it’s about bloody time”.

Ireland skipper Keith Wood has vowed there will be no complacency in the camp when his team open their World Cup campaign against Romania on Saturday.

Inspirational captain Keith Wood has admitted he would never have made Ireland’s World Cup party if he had not been on this summer’s southern hemisphere tour.

Brian O’Driscoll is confident he hasn’t yet reached the peak of his rugby powers.

World Cup minnows Namibia have confirmed that uncapped full-back Deon Grunschloss will replace Desmond Snyders in their squad.

Record-breaker Denis Hickie believes Ireland are about to face the acid test of their progress over the last four years.

David Humphreys has won the battle of the Irish fly-halves for Saturday’s World Cup opener with Romania in Gosford.

Eddie O’Sullivan is confident his Ireland squad have the quality and experience to deal with anything the Romanians throw at them in their opening World Cup match.

GIVEN our penchant for horse racing, coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s warning yesterday that Ireland has four major hurdles to jump if they still want to be in Australia for Melbourne Cup week was a fitting analogy to begin a World Cup adventure.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan commended Ireland’s 30-man World Cup squad in Australia today “for demonstrating surprising enthusiasm considering they are still jet-lagged”.

IRELAND have likened the Wallabies to a ‘wounded animal’ heading into the ‘group of death’, at the Rugby World Cup.

THE early stages of the World Cup will be home-from-home for Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson.

Ireland trained in heavy rain in Australia today, for the first time since a downpour during a session in Perth last June as they prepared to face the World Cup hosts on their Summer Tour.

Ireland will be out to justify their lofty standing in world rugby next month as they head for the World Cup in third place in the latest International Rugby Board rankings.

THE International Rugby Board has spiced up Ireland’s World Cup clash with hosts Australia by controversially placing the Wallabies below Ireland in the latest world rankings.

THE road from Limerick to Gosford and Ireland’s opening World Cup match against Romania on October 11 will have been taken on two entirely different routes as far as Keith Wood and David Wallace are concerned.

John O’Neill, managing director of the Australian Rugby Union, has denied the Wallabies deliberately made things hard for New Zealand so they could grab exclusive rights to the World Cup next year.