Will real Ireland stand up?

SECURE in the knowledge that a World Cup quarter-final place has been achieved, one hopes Ireland will now display the true quality that exists in this side.

It was evident in Adelaide last Sunday that the consequences of defeat to Argentina weighed heavily on the minds of the players and certainly inhibited their performances. Watching the team disembark from the bus at the Adelaide Oval, it struck me how ashen-faced the players looked. Regardless of the talk, they were feeling the pressure.

Despite the fact Australia and Ireland have now qualified for the next phase, there is a huge incentive for success in tomorrow's final pool A game. Victory will almost certainly guarantee a place in the World Cup semi-final given that the pool winners should meet Scotland next. However, don't discount the possibility that Fiji could beat the Scots tomorrow.