O'Sullivan wary of England backlash

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has warned his RBS 6 Nations favourites to ignore England’s wretched form as they prepare for Sunday’s clash at Lansdowne Road.

A host of statistics chronicle England’s sharp decline since their 2003 World Cup triumph and another defeat in Dublin would represent the nation’s worst championship run since 1987.

Injuries to key players, the loss of proven leaders and muddled selection have all been cited as reasons why Andy Robinson’s side will limp into Dublin as massive underdogs whose confidence has been shot to pieces.

But defeats by Wales and France have left them in desperate need of a victory and will make them a very dangerous proposition, according to O’Sullivan.

“England may have been beaten by France but they only lost the match by a single point. It was a disappointing performance in Wales but they could have won that game as well,” he said.

“They should have beaten France but it got away from them because they missed kicks at goal.

"Had they taken the points they would have beaten France and that would have created a different landscape for Sunday.

“They scored the tries and played some good rugby, but paid a big price for missing their kicks.

"Against France they were better than in Cardiff but if you miss kicks at international level it is very hard to win.”

He added: “If I was in Andy’s shoes I would want to get a win under my belt as soon as possible to get the ship back on course. England will target a victory in Dublin as the turning point in their 6 Nations.

“The atmosphere at Lansdowne Road will be hostile. But England are still a good rugby side and because of the depth of talent they have, they can field a strong team despite their injuries.”

Robinson has made just one change to his starting line-up for Sunday, giving Matt Stevens the nod at prop after Phil Vickery was ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a broken arm.

The World Cup holders look far from settled and Robinson has drawn fierce criticism for failing to give players such as Matthew Tait and Henry Paul enough time to prove their international credentials once selected.

But O’Sullivan insists the rebuilding process currently underway does little to undermine England’s ability to derail Ireland’s Grand Slam dream.

He said: “They do not have a settled side but that is not a big deal really. The guys that are playing for them still have plenty of experience.

“You always like to field a settled team but England admit they are in transition. However, that does not mean they are not ready to play.”

Stevens is an inexperienced choice for the front row – he is not even first choice for his club Bath – but O’Sullivan dismissed suggestions the position could be exposed as an Achilles heel.

“You can only exploit an area if you think it is a weakness. But there is no indication that the England scrum has been weakened, even with the injuries. The players they have brought in can scrummage,” he said.