Locking horns with great Scott

ONE of the best lineout jumpers in the world, both in attack and defence.

That's how Eddie O'Sullivan described him, and though he could have easily been talking about his own Malcolm O'Kelly, the Ireland coach was referring to Scotland's Scott Murray.

O'Kelly himself is equally admiring of the Scot and though the Irishman is one of the few players able to look down on the 6ft 6ins lock, it is only in a physical sense. He awaits their clash at Murrayfield tomorrow afternoon with some relish.

The two giants O'Kelly stands at 6ft 8ins are cut from the same cloth. Both athletic second-row forwards, mobile in the loose and superb in the lineout, where both have earned reputations for stealing the ball on the opponents' throw.

They were also team-mates on the 2001 Lions tour of Australia, where the mutual admiration society intensified.

"Scott's very good defensively at the lineouts," Kelly says. "I got to know him on the Lions tour and he's a nice guy actually," O'Kelly said, before adding the proviso: "Off the pitch.

"It will be a big battle in the lineouts and all the set-pieces for that matter, for all first-phase ball. I would imagine that if we can hold onto our set-piece ball we could win the match. It will be a huge deciding factor in the game. He who holds onto the ball wins the game and it will be a massive phase of the game.

"We're aware of Scotland's strengths in the scrum as well and we'll be really put against the sword there. We'll be happy to hold our own there and we'll be looking for our continuity to work for us. If we can get the ball in the hands of our big guys we'll be hard to stop."

Remarkably, though, lineouts were the weak link in the Ireland package last year. Statistics for the 2002 championship show a success rate of only 68 per cent, better than only Wales.

"It was definitely a problem area," O'Kelly admitted. "We had to change our lineouts pretty quickly but I think we pulled it together for the last couple of games. But we had to work on it and it's we're more conscious of now of what we'll try and what we won't. Maybe we just weren't aware enough last time, I don't know. But I would hope now we'd be better.

"We've put in a lot of good work on it and also we've been doing it with Leinster, where I've been doing the lineouts. Like everything, the more work you put into it the more benefit you get out of it and in this case the more lineout ball you'll win. I think we've put in enough work to do some damage.

"Lineouts are such a huge contest now. There's no banker lineouts any more. We believed we've worked hard and have a good few options now and we're confident that we can go and win our ball and hopefully rob a couple of theirs. I'm sure they'll be thinking the exact same thing but we're ready to give it a go."

O'Kelly heads into the sixth championship of his career as enthusiastic as ever, "even more so now", about the competition.

"The Six Nations is still exciting for me. The first time round it's more about just enjoying it although I can't even remember my first Five Nations match. At this stage, though, you know what's required."

With five games in seven weeks, maintaining fitness is uppermost in players' thoughts.

"You have to listen to your body but push yourself at the same time, said O'Kelly.

"If you pick up a dead leg you can be out for three of four days which, in these conditions, would be a bit of a blow, especially the front row guys.

"But for any team, losing three or four players to injury would affect them. You have to assume that by not collecting any injuries and managing ourselves well we can compete against anybody. But if we pick up five or six injuries the depth of our squad would be challenged.

"We've lots of good players but maybe not all with the right amount of experience. Having said that, England would have a massive number of players to call on, especially in their pack, but they cannot afford to lose five or six players from their top side. We saw that when we beat them in Dublin. "

The Irish also have to cope with high hopes for the Six Nations campaign among fans spoiled by the autumn victories over Australia, Fiji and Argentina.

"Expectations are probably even higher this time round and if you were to believe the press we probably wouldn't even have to go out there. But I don't believe we work well at being arrogant and thinking we're better than any other side. You just can't do that in rugby. There are 15 players out there who want to rip your head off and if you want to go out there and play seven-a-side you're jokers.

"It's maybe different in soccer or football where true skill can win you the game but in rugby, if a guy hits you harder because he's more in tune with what the game's really about, you'll learn quick enough."

But O'Kelly understands where the fans are coming from. "They wouldn't exactly want us going out there as nervous as hell so why not go out there thinking their team can win every game. They could easily be disappointed but, sure, it's for us not to make the mistake of letting the media blow us up. We have to be firm in our ideas.

"I played at Murrayfield two years ago and it was close to the end of a few guys' careers and I got dropped after it. So it's one you want to put right and you understand what's at stake.

"I think we all went there thinking we could win handy enough. That's all I can remember from it. Maybe we were thinking of other games ahead. There were a lot of inexperience at Murrayfield that day but we learned what it was like quickly enough.

The Scots may have surrendered meekly at Lansdowne Road last year but they are an entirely different team back at Murrayfield.

"They just play so aggressively, they upset you in every facet. It's just a matter of us standing tall and imposing our own plan. You can't go into Murrayfield half sorted. We have to be locked and loaded, as Eddie says. One of his favourite phrases that, but we do have to be right for it."