Brian 'biggest threat to Wallabies'

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones has acknowledged Brian O'Driscoll as one of the best players in the world but has plans to subdue that talent at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Jones believes O'Driscoll provides the single biggest threat to Australia's proud record at the oldest international stadium in the world and has ordered his troops to stop him.

It is a tribute to O'Driscoll that Jones should remark: "He is an immense

talent, a guy who can run straight and at angles, a guy who can shift off both feet. He has developed a strong shot kicking game and he's not afraid to tackle either."

So, would all those attributes get him into the Wallaby squad? "Don't think he has an Australian passport, has he? I can't answer a hypothetical question. I would say, though, that he would get into virtually any team in the world."

Jones expects the Irish challenge to run deeper than sole reliance on O'Driscoll's ability in the middle of the pitch, however. "Experience tells us that Ireland are a difficult side to beat. They might be without Keith Wood but they have a lot of quality in the squad. Ireland have progressed fairly rapidly in the last couple of years and any side that can go to New Zealand and do what they did in the first Test during the summer must be treated seriously. "That was a game they not

only could have won but should have won. New Zealand rarely play badly at home so you would have to give credit to Ireland for the way they played. They missed a few kicks at goal and only lost by a narrow margin. That, for me, makes them very dangerous opposition." So, when Jones prepared for this trip his mind wasn't quite on the less than convincing Irish victories over Romania, Russia and Georgia.

"We looked at some video footage of those games, but we haven't assessed Ireland on the basis of those games. They were start of the season matches and, OK, there was a bit of pressure because a couple of them were World Cup qualifiers. But the atmosphere wasn't quite the same we expect for a high-profile game at Lansdowne Road. "We spent a lot more time looking at how they did against the All Blacks and on their performances in the Six

Nations last season. Those videos, I hope, will allow us the opportunity to assess them much better."

Although Jones expects a hot reception in Dublin, he is in no doubt that it will be more welcoming than the one the world champions experienced in Buenos Aires last weekend.

"For a start, I don't reckon the Irish will be spitting on our players when they take the field!" That wasn't the only unhappy aspect of Australia's visit to South America. "It was also a dreadful game. You can't be happy with a match when the ball is actually only in play for 21 of the 80 plus minutes.

"The good thing from our point of view was that the players got a match - their first bit of footie for almost nine weeks. It was better because we came away with a win in difficult circumstances." Jones heaped praise on captain George Gregan for the way he composed himself in the intimidating atmosphere. "Argentina, in many different ways, put it up to us and character was called for. George never ceases to amaze me the way he responds to pressure and this was pressure of a type he, and the rest of the players, have probably never experienced before." Frustrated in Argentina, Jones hopes the troops can take one big step forward in Dublin. "This tour is all about progressing as a team and a squad. I would like to think we could play a better brand of rugby this week although Ireland, I'm sure, may have something to say about that. Hopefully, though, it will be a better game. All players and coaches want to win. Sometimes you have to win in any way possible, but it's always much nicer when it can be done with either style or at least after playing some good football.

"The way Ireland have expanded their game suggests it will be an opportunity to produce a better game than last week. If that happens, the players on both sides and the fans will be satisfied." Jones defended his comments of last week when he suggested Australia would keep the best wine for Twickenham if at all possible.

Experimentation or not, Jones will have more than enough of the old guard to make Ireland's afternoon extremely difficult if not impossible.

Mat Rogers, David Lyons and Jeremy Paul are ruled out with injuries but the good news is that Matt Burke is almost certain to make another Lansdowne Road start. "We're particularly disappointed that Mat Rogers hasn't got another chance to gain experience but Matt Burke expects to be 100 percent fit by tomorrow."