Ireland won’t be bullied again

BULLIED by England and wary of former coach Eddie O’Sullivan, Donncha O’Callaghan believes Ireland will hit the ground running against the United States this weekend playing cup-final rugby.

The arduous journey to New Zealand is out of the system and the Ireland squad are buzzing about the 2011 World Cup campaign which for them starts on Sunday with their Pool C opening encounter against O’Sullivan’s Eagles.

And after a chastening August in which defeats were recorded in four warm-up Tests for Declan Kidney’s side, O’Callaghan says the lessons have been learned, and not just from last month but the last World Cup, when, under O’Sullivan, Ireland blew their chances in the group stages by trying to play champagne rugby instead of winning stuff.