O’Sullivan gambles with last throw of dice

THE dye is cast. Ireland must play like men possessed or they will be more or less out of the World Cup after Friday’s game against France at the Stade de France.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan has gambled uncharacteristically for a game that he regards as “the biggest, the most important of all in the World Cup”.

“Once the first game went the way it did, with France losing to Argentina, this was always going to be a pivotal game in the group. That hasn’t changed and what has disappointed us is the way we have performed. You could accurately describe it as a crisis.”