Keep on running: O'Sullivan

Eddie O’Sullivan insists he will not abandon Ireland’s running philosophy and may even expand on it if circumstances require in the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday in Auckland.

O’Sullivan embarked on a more positive style of play after exposure to the All Blacks during last year’s Lions tour, and during the Grand Slam tour when the New Zealanders had a 43-7 win in Dublin, and is determined to maintain a more expansive style of play.

“There will come a time in games when you have to run with the football to win a game,” he said, “and if you haven’t been doing that consistently, you can’t just pull that out of the bottom drawer on the day.

“You have to experience that playing environment and, sure enough, you may have to adjust your tactics on a one-off situation, but there will be a time when you have to go out and play rugby.

“If you haven’t been doing that you are in no position to do that when you are under the most amount of pressure,” he said.

Skipper Brian O’Driscoll also hinted that Ireland might throw all-out attack at the All Blacks to see how they handle it.

“A lot of the times that is the most effective way to play teams [off the cuff and running hard], if you don't know what you are doing, they certainly don’t know what you are doing,” he said.

O’Driscoll knows from his experience in New Zealand on a two-Test tour in 2002 just what to expect this weekend.

“We played well in the first Test [in 2002] and it was one of those narrow defeats but we let ourselves down in the second Test.

“The All Blacks are certainly going to e better than they were at the weekend, history has shown that.

“But we like to think we have something left in reserve as well. We don’t want to be another one of those sides that goes well in the first Test, is narrowly beaten and then capitulates in the second Test,” he added.

O‘Sullivan is still hoping full-back Geordan Murphy will be fit after straining an Achilles tendon in the Hamilton match.