Ireland's summer tour: Australia was the focal point of the tour but Samoa provided Ireland with their finest hour, or more accurately finest 40 minutes, in the physically debilitating conditions.

Despite his pronouncements that lady luck bestowed significant favours on the Wallabies at the Subiaco Oval in Perth, Eddie O'Sullivan should be concerned that a sub-standard Australian performance sufficed to eke out a convincing 45-16 victory.

Ireland demonstrated flashes of the enterprise that will be a prerequisite at the World Cup later in the year but also a worrying fallibility defensively. The absence of several front-line players constitutes a mitigating factor for any team but the hosts too had big names in the stands.

When Australia cranked up the pressure in Perth, Ireland managed to absorb it about as well as a string vest. Girvan Dempsey suffered an unusually fraught evening defensively while another model of consistency, Peter Stringer, had his worst game in a green jersey.

As far as the scrumhalf issue is concerned, Guy Easterby enjoyed a couple of fine games against Tonga (two tries) and Samoa. He made several breaks, keeping the opposing backrows occupied, defended powerfully on the fringes and in covering and offered vocal direction for his pack.

His Achilles heel remains a pass that wafts to the outhalf. It seems ridiculous in the modern professional era that he doesn't receive the specialised instruction that could transform this most basic of skills.

What should also trouble O'Sullivan is the lineout against the Aussies, primarily in the first half when the communication and application went askew, a problem that also resurfaced a little in the Samoa match.

The experiment of moving Reggie Corrigan across the front row from loosehead to tighthead was a qualified success. Ireland managed to maintain a reasonably solid scrum throughout the tour but it is a fall-back measure rather than a serious option.

One of two issues have been resolved for the time being at least. Geordan Murphy has supplanted Dempsey as Ireland's first-choice full back, a position that gives him more scope to express his great natural ability and also broadens Ireland's attacking options beyond Brian O'Driscoll.

In reference to the wings, Tyrone Howe, Anthony Horgan and James Topping failed to advance their cases, albeit with limited opportunity.

One player who did make significant strides was John Kelly. A try against Australia and a brace against Tonga are the superficial statistics but his development is best encapsulated by defensive coach Mike Ford, who singled him out as the squad's most improved player in that area.

Supporting this assertion was his pick-and-dump tackle on Toutai Kefu and also his angles and timing in easily negating Samoan speedster Ron Fanuatanu.

Ireland's outstanding back in the last two matches was Jonathan Bell, happily restored to full fitness and looking sharp.

He ran great angles, defended intelligently and reconfirmed what a fine footballer he is when not hampered by injury. He has certainly thrown down the gauntlet to Kevin Maggs and Rob Henderson, assuming Shane Horgan will be considered as a wing.

Bell's midfield partner Mike Mullins, a late addition for the injured Henderson, once again confirmed his prowess with the ball and apart from the odd moment when he drifted high in the tackle was a pretty competent defender.

Ronan O'Gara took over the number 10 jersey against Australia at the interval, replacing the injured David Humphreys, and made a pretty fair case for being retained as the man in possession when the new season resumes with tests against Italy, Wales and Scotland. He scored an Irish points record (32) against Samoa and produced a big game defensively against Tonga.

Barring injury, Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne, Marcus Horan and the absent John Hayes will head for the World Cup. On the evidence of the tour Emmet Byrne should see off the challenges of Justin Fitzpatrick and Simon Best.

Paul O'Connell removed any doubt about lingering effects of injury with excellent performances in the Tonga and Samoa matches, particularly the latter.

Leo Cullen's dislocated shoulder has come at an inopportune time as his replacement at the weekend, Donncha O'Callaghan, did very well when he came on.

Indeed the back five in the pack is an oasis of quality. Simon Easterby had two excellent games, Aidan McCullen did well on his debut and Alan Quinlan was excellent against Australia, as was Victor Costello.

Ireland's outstanding forward in the last two games was Eric Miller, back to his rampaging, ball-playing, athletic best.

His performance in the Samoa game was exceptional on a day when he played openside, number eight and blindside at various set pieces all in the one game.

The two players who will feel a little concerned following the tour are Kieron Dawson and David Wallace. The former was surprisingly anonymous against Tonga while the latter, following a long layoff through injury, was used sparingly.

What the tour did underline was that Ireland won't "out-finesse" the opposition, that against the so-called weaker countries, a structured gameplan based on field position, patience, discipline and excellent defence will suffice.

The Australian match confirmed that against the best teams Ireland remain a little unsure, particularly away from Lansdowne Road. There is still a tendency to panic, to overcomplicate, to cast away possession needlessly and to disintegrate mentally under pressure.

At times they appear too rigid in their patterns, colour-by-numbers rugby, where the individual instincts are subjugated to rigid structures. Players need to be given more responsibility to react to their surroundings on the pitch, to think and make decisions. Denied the opportunity, they risk becoming automatons, slaves to the blackboard.

A little flexibility could see Ireland step up to the next level in a season in which they have once again progressed.