Ireland must flex muscles in USA clash

NEXT Friday Declan Kidney will name the 22-man squad to face USA in the World Cup opener in New Plymouth and will seek a massive improvement from the demoralising warm-up games.

The Americans are, at best, a third world rugby country although rest assured Eddie O’Sullivan will have them primed for this game more than any other, a game being played on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities.

But the reality is that if Ireland fail to win by less than 20 points, they have no business going on the same pitch as the Australians six days later.