O'Sullivan refuses to surrender
EMBATTLED Eddie O'Sullivan believes his under-performing squad can pull off a World Cup miracle result against Argentina next Sunday.
Ireland take on the Pumas in the Parc Des Princes knowing that only a victory by a margin of at least eight points and a four-try bonus point haul will enable them to qualify for the knock-out stages. However, Ireland have never won in 12 visits to the second stadium in Paris while Argentina remain the only side not to have conceded a try in the competition, following Saturday's facile 63-3 victory against Namibia.
"I have to say yes because we have no other option here. You find in these situations where your back is to the wall, there was always the risk we wouldn't win in Paris, that's not something we do very often," said O'Sullivan.
"We went in with the full intention of winning the game, we said we'd give it a full whack.
"It came so now you kick on to the next task, which is a big mountain to climb, to play Argentina, to win, to score four tries plus the bonus point, and stop them scoring a bonus point, a tall order.
"But you have just got to get on with it and try and do it, and you know, as I say it is what it is and we can't shy away from it now, that's the mountain we have to climb. It's climbable but we have to get on with it."
Meanwhile, Argentinian star Juan Martin Hernandez returns to training today and he is expected to line up for Sunday's crunch battle, as the Pumas seek to crush Ireland's World Cup ambitions for the second time in eight years.
"I think he will play," said assistant coach Daniel Baetti who revealed his side's other injury concerns have all healed. "We don't have the final medical staff decision yet, but he is recovered. He will start training normally on Tuesday."
