Ireland's summer tour: Trying to pigeon-hole Ireland's whistle-stop, three-week sortie to Australia and the Pacific islands in the greater scheme of things, the temptation is to regard it as a necessary evil. International Board (IRB) touring schedules are outlined years in advance and there's little point in carping about an unwelcome intrusion in a World Cup year, writes John O'Sullivan in Perth, Australia
Denied several first choice players and fulfilling fixtures in an already congested season that threatens to blur into the upcoming one is hardly an appetising prospect; yet Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is definitely an advocate of the half-full rather than half-empty analogy.
Ensconced in Freemantle, a few miles up the coast from Perth where Ireland face world champions Australia in the Subiaco Oval next Saturday, O'Sullivan offered his overview and more pointedly his expectations for the next three weeks.
Set against a season in which he has guided the team to 10 wins in 11 test matches, he is conscious of the need to marry medium-term (World Cup) and short-term focus. "I want to keep developing the team technically and tactically so that we get better at what we're doing. I want to see some players who didn't get a run last autumn or in the Six Nations. I want to put another building block in for the World Cup."
He has set parameters in development for the players as individuals, within units and in an overall team context.
"Those goals are ongoing, pushing them higher and higher. It's going to be interesting for those guys who haven't been involved at this level to see how they plug in.
"I don't think the result is as important as the performance. They've got injuries and we've got injuries. Everyone is trying to get a good performance yet keep their powder dry. We're at the end of our season, they're in the middle. There are enough variables there to put a screw in your head if you're going to hang everything on the result.
"I'd like the team to play a really good test in Perth in what are going to be similar conditions to the World Cup. If you do things well, say 'That's great' and if you do things badly, say 'How are we going to fix that for the World Cup?' That's really where it's at in terms of the outcome of this match."
The size of the squad initially assembled for the tour - it's now down to a positively anaemic 39 - and incorporating those who pulled out for one reason or another, suggests that anyone who didn't receive a phone call shouldn't cancel any holidays around World Cup time.
O'Sullivan, though, was not about to shut the door. "There is scope. When we go back we'll pick a squad of 50 to go to fitness camp. You'd like to think that the 30 for the World Cup will come out of that so it'd be a good plan to make the 50."
A slimmed-down version of the current Irish party will head for Tonga and Samoa next Sunday and for many fringe players there's a real opportunity to reshuffle the pecking order.
"It'll be hostile in terms of the conditions, hot and humid and very physical, a different test to Australia," O'Sullivan mused.
"I think the last time that we toured there a lot of people went missing in action, which certainly isn't the plan this time. There are guys going there this year who haven't got a chance to show what they are really about. Either they were not in the loop, outside the squad, not making the team, or were on the A side.
"It's a very important tour for those lads. Even the guys going home shouldn't make any assumptions, just because they're leaving a little early, about the World Cup squad. There is a lot at stake for a lot of players on this tour."
Conversation drifts back to the essence of O'Sullivan's ambition for his charges. "I want us to become a consistent rugby team and that we would go out and play well at every opportunity; the more often we did that the more often we'd win games.
"Every game hasn't been perfect, I'm not suggesting that, but over the season we have gradually built and built to a good level of consistency. It's about maintaining that. If your consistent you're confident, if you're confident you'll win a few games you wouldn't ordinarily win."
The players are showing little sign of the battle fatigue of a long season, although a truer evaluation will come after the test matches. There will be an opportunity for most to showcase talent and also for O'Sullivan to experiment.
Brian O'Driscoll's mantle of Ireland's creative wizard at outside centre has been handed to Geordan Murphy, the Leicester player's new midfield role a tantalising prospect.
John Hayes's absence too is a very real opportunity for Emmet Byrne to underline his value. David Wallace is likely to be afforded an opportunity to play in either the number six or eight jersey in the islands.
In truth all who are handed a green jersey over the three weeks will be expected to offer compelling evidence for retention in O'Sullivan's plans for the rest of the year.
The next three Saturdays are stepping stones, useful ones but taken in the context of the next five months, they will recede in importance, superseded by the World Cup.
IRELAND SQUAD
Forwards: Simon Best (Ulster and Belfast Harlequins), Emmet Byrne (St Mary's and Leinster), Shane Byrne (Leinster and Blackrock), Reggie Corrigan (Leinster and Greystones), Leo Cullen (Leinster and Blackrock), Victor Costello (Leinster and St Mary's), Kieron Dawson (London Irish), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Justin Fitzpatrick (Dungannon and Ulster), Aidan McCullen (Leinster and Lansdowne), Keith Gleeson (Leinster and St Mary's), Marcus Horan (Munster and Shannon), Gary Longwell (Ulster and Ballymena), Eric Miller (Leinster and Terenure), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster and Cork Constitution), Paul O'Connell (Munster and Young Munster), Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster and St Mary's), Alan Quinlan (Munster and Shannon), Paul Shields (Ulster and Ballymena), David Wallace (Munster and Garryowen).
Backs: Jonathan Bell (Ulster and Dungannon), Paul Burke (Harlequins), Gordon Darcy (Leinster and Lansdowne), Girvan Dempsey (Leinster and Terenure), Guy Easterby (Llanelli), Mike Mullins (Munster and Young Munster), Anthony Horgan (Munster and Cork Constitution), Tyrone Howe (Ulster and Dungannon), David Humphreys (Ulster and Dungannon), John Kelly (Munster and Cork Constitution), Mark McHugh (Connacht and St Mary's), Kevin Maggs (Bath), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O'Gara (Munster and Cork Constitution), Brian O'Meara (Leinster and Cork Constitution), David Quinlan (Leinster and Blackrock College), Peter Stringer (Munster and Shannon), James Topping (Ulster and Ballymena), Paddy Wallace (Ulster and Ballymena).
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Brendan Cannon, Ben Darwin, Scott Fava, Elton Flatley, David Giffin, George Gregan (captain), Nathan Grey, Steve Kefu, Toutai Kefu (vice-captain), Chris Latham, David Lyons, Patricio Noriega, Glenn Panoho, Jeremy Paul, Joe Roff, Wendell Sailor, Nathan Sharpe, George Smith, Lote Tuqiri, Morgan Turinui, Daniel Vickerman, Phil Waugh, Chris Whitaker, Bill Young.
TEST FIXTURES
Saturday, June 7th: Australia v Ireland, Subiaco Oval, Perth (10.0 a.m. Irish time, 9.30 Sky Sports 2).
Saturday June 14th: Tonga v Ireland, Nuku A'lofa (3.0 a.m. Irish time)
Friday, June 20th: Samoa v Ireland, Apia (3.0 a.m. Irish time).
