O’Sullivan tips Ireland as World Cup ‘dark horses’

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN knows more than he would like about Ireland falling short in the World Cup, but he believes Declan Kidney’s side will be this year’s dark horses and could win the tournament for the first time.

It is just over three years since O’Sullivan left his role as Ireland’s head coach, having seen his side exit the 2003 World Cup at the quarter-final stage and not evenget out of their pool four yearslater.

Since then his successor, Declan Kidney, has succeeded where he could not, guiding Ireland to their first Grand Slam for 61 years in 2009.

Now the USA boss, whose side will face Ireland in the pool stages in New Zealand, believes Ireland can beat the might of the southernhemisphere in the World Cup.

“With their current players and structure, if Ireland have a run of success and momentum going into the quarter or semi-finals then anything is possible,” said O’Sullivan.

“I think we saw in the Six Nations that when they get it right, as they did against England, that they are an incredibly strong team and can take anybody on their day.

“I think that Ireland will be critical of themselves in that they weren’t as consistent as they will want to be.

“And the challenge over the next few months is to bring that consistency into the World Cup.

“If they do they will be really, really hard to stop and I have to say I would back them against anybody if they play to their potential.”

But O’Sullivan has warned Ireland that his USA side will be no pushover when they meet on September 11 in New Plymouth. The USA failed to win a single game four years ago in France but only lost to England 28-10 and O’Sullivan insists Ireland could yet be in for a shock.

“If we upset Ireland, Australia or Italy, it would be a big shock, but we want to go out, play to our capacity and see what happens — in the world cup there is always a chance of upsetting the apple cart.

“As a side I feel we are 75% of the way to where we want to be.”