Stringer faces the battle of his career

IF Irish scrum-half Peter Stringer wanted the biggest challenge of his career, it would undoubtedly be to play against the best number nine in the world. He has that opportunity today at Lansdowne Road.

Stringer faces the battle of his career

But the battle between the scrum halves is just one of the intriguing features of this game. You have George Gregan against Stringer; Steve Larkham against Ronan O'Gara; and George Smith against Keith Gleeson.

They're the type of battles Ireland will need to win if a major Southern Hemisphere scalp is to be had, and a marker laid down for next year's World Cup.

And doesn't coach Eddie O'Sullivan know it.

"Over recent years, we have come close but not close enough. There can be no point in continuing to make

excuses for failure. I reckon we have a reasonable chance, but we have to take that chance if it arises," O'Sullivan said last night.

The task facing the Irish is underlined by the fact that new captain Brian O'Driscoll is the only one of the Irish team to have figured on a winning team against Australia and that was with the Lions last year.

"We have to give ourselves a chance. We have been around the scene for a long time and have run very good sides close, but not close enough. I have the same view as Keith Wood, that it is not good enough to run these teams close. We have got to prove to ourselves that we can beat them once and then beat them again," O'Driscoll reckoned.

"I am fed up of being told we have done well, but not well enough. I would like to think that we can beat Australia in Dublin and then beat them again when we meet again next year before and during the World Cup. That is the type of goal you have to aspire to as a professional rugby player."

Meanwhile, O'Sullivan feigned hurt at the thought of a sub-standard Wallaby selection.

"They used the match against Argentina as a warm-up match to ensure they made a winning start to the tour. They did it successfully and these players, with a match behind them, will have a lot of confidence.

''They've been experimenting with their front five and back three, but by and large, they have the core of the side that knows its way around a Test game.

"We are dealing here with the world champions. It is, in some ways, an impossible task for us, but we do want to find out a lot about ourselves. We do want to find out to what particular point we have progressed. And we are going out to win, not to draw and not to lose by a respectable margin. The only way forward is to prove to ourselves that we can beat quality teams like this.

"We had a big chance to beat New Zealand, but lost because we failed to take opportunities. We have been there or thereabouts to beating South Africa and Australia before and did not take it the whole way."

The record shows that Australia and Ireland have played 20 times and Australia leads the series 14-6.

It is 11 victories on the trot for the visitors at Lansdowne Road.

Don't expect the run to end today.

More in this section

Sport

Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers. and reporters

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited