Italian job for Murphy and Leamy

IRELAND coach Eddie O’Sullivan has frequently stated that the toughest part of his job is telling players they have been dropped.

Given that he had a full-strength squad from which to pick his side to meet Italy on Sunday, the certainty was that there would be at least one or even two crestfallen players in Dublin yesterday.

And when the fateful moment came, it was O’Sullivan’s duty to tell both 53 times capped Girvan Dempsey and Johnny O’Connor, who made two appearances in the autumn and finished on the winning side against both South Africa and Argentina, they were the unlucky ones.

However, most will agree that O’Sullivan got it just right when he moved Geordan Murphy from right wing to full-back in place of Dempsey, thus making room for Shane Horgan on the right wing, and also preferred Tipperary man Denis Leamy to O’Connor at number seven.

That Dempsey and O’Connor have failed to make it and a whole host of other highly talented players are either on the bench or not involved at all underlines the strength in depth at O’Sullivan’s disposal.

“Girvan’s been a stalwart at full-back”, said O’Sullivan. “It was a tight call but it was the first time we could select with a full deck in the backs. This will probably be the best backline we’ve fielded for a while. It’s getting tougher rather than easier to pick our back-row.

"The obvious loser is Jonny O’Connor, who acquitted himself very well in the two autumn Tests but Denis Leamy has been chomping at the bit. He had a very big Heineken Cup campaign, fighting his way into a very tough Munster back-row, and I think he deserves to edge out Jonny.

“The choice wasn’t based on form because Jonny has been playing very well.They are slightly different types of player and this game probably suits Denis better. We’ll see how it goes on Sunday; the following week is Scotland and it’s a different game.

"The back-row is an embarrassment of riches where we are in a position to pick what we believe is the best combination for each game. Another player out of the loop now is Alan Quinlan who also had a great run in the Heineken Cup.”

Reggie Corrigan, the veteran 34 year-old loose head prop, is a doubtful starter with a bruised knee and sat out the last few training sessions. O’Sullivan expects him to be okay by Friday when a final decision will be made.

Ulster’s Simon Best will travel as cover with Marcus Horan starting at number one should Corrigan miss out.

Sunday will be a particularly auspicious occasion for tight head prop John Hayes and second-row Malcolm O’Kelly. The latter equals the Irish cap record of 69 held for many years by the great Mike Gibson while Hayes makes his 50th appearance.

Hayes has been absolutely crucial to the Irish cause for the last five years not just because he is a huge man and a tremendous warrior but also because the options were less than evident.

When I asked O’Sullivan what he would have done without the man from Cappamore, he quipped: “Probably coach another team.”

On a more serious note, he observed: “He’s an old campaigner now which is surprising since it was only four or five years ago that he came on the scene. It’s not just because of his physique but his work around the pitch, his line-out work and his contribution in the tackle that makes him so important to us.

"50 caps is a big milestone in any player’s career. It’s the hell of an achievement, especially in the front-row where there’s a high attrition rate and a tough place to be. He’s come through it well and I hope there’s another 50 in him.”

Sunday will certainly be a severe test for Hayes if only because his direct opponent, Andrea Lo Cicero, is rated one of the finest loose head props in the game.