The Lens legacy lives on according to a report in yesterday's Sunday Times. The newspaper claimed to have laid their hands on a copy of the proposed draw for the 2003 World Cup and the pre-qualifying campaign. If correct, it makes for pretty grim reading from Ireland's point of view.

Apparently Ireland's pre-qualifying campaign next year (2002) is likely to include games against Russia (away) and Romania (Lansdowne Road). Should they negotiate that, then they will be drawn in Pool A, which includes one of the joint hosts, Australia, Ireland's Lens conquerors, Argentina, and probably Chile and Spain.

If Warren Gatland's men were to squeeze through in second place in the group stage, they would then make the short trip to face New Zealand - the All Blacks have never lost a World Cup match at home - in a quarter-final. Apparently the draw has yet to be finalised and not many unions including the IRFU has any knowledge of the proposed schedule. Lens was a bad day in the history of Irish rugby. In mitigation, there have been a plethora down the ages, and Gatland, along with Eddie O'Sullivan, has worked hard and largely successfully to turn things around. It seems now though that the Lens legacy has one final, nasty surprise.