Drico: Fight for places begins now

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll spoke of the relief for many players at winning a place in the World Cup squad but insisted there was still plenty to prove before the opening game against the USA on September 11.

O’Driscoll and many others in the 30 named yesterday by head coach Declan Kidney will have never doubted that their places in the party leaving for New Zealand next Tuesday were under threat yet with one warm-up game still ahead of them, against England in Dublin on Saturday, the captain said places in the starting side for the Pool C opener against Eddie O’Sullivan’s Eagles in New Plymouth 20 days from now were the new focus for the chosen few.

“There’s definitely a big relief when the squad is announced, definitely,” O’Driscoll said yesterday. “There would have been certain guys who were fairly confident they were in the squad but there would have been quite a few still who would have enjoyed hearing their names read out...that’s one thing you’ll ever get bored of.