O'Sullivan: Closed roof will suit us
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan believes playing Australia under a closed roof this weekend will suit his players down to the ground.
Melbourne’s Telstra Dome has been enclosed for all World Cup games so far and the roof will be on again tomorrow when the Irish meet the Wallabies in one of the most eagerly-anticipated showdowns of the tournament.
Ireland made the most of horrendous conditions in Dublin last November to beat Australia for the first time in 23 years.
But O’Sullivan feels the guaranteed conditions, hard field and dry ball will allow his impressive back-line runners to put the Wallabies under pressure.
“The great thing about rugby is being able to adapt to conditions, especially in Ireland you learn to adapt because you get four seasons in an hour – but to be honest we prefer dry weather,” said O’Sullivan.
“The game we are trying to develop and team we are trying to blend is one that keeps the ball in hand.
“I think we have moved away from the old traditional ‘stick-it-up-your-shirt’ or ‘up-in-the-air’ type of game that Ireland were associated with.
“So it doesn’t suit us if it rains and I am perfectly happy to hear the forecast is for heavy rain on Saturday and that the roof is on the stadium.”
Star centre Brian O’Driscoll has been a quiet attacking force this tournament, largely because his brilliance has been hampered by difficult weather.
Finally, when the conditions were perfect for an expansive game, the opposition was not and with a quarter-final place at stake, last week’s bruising encounter with Argentina was a tight and tense affair.
But, to borrow Keith Wood’s term, the shackles are off this weekend and the attacking qualities of O’Driscoll et al have the Australians worried.
And all it will need from ‘Drico’ is one of his trademark breaks and the Irish support – that has been milling around town all week, adding an emerald glow to a city whose spring flora has remained firmly in bud in protest at the shocking weather – will do their best to lift that roof clean off.
The travelling army of tourists and ex-pats could well equal the number of Australians inside the Telstra Dome, just as the Lions managed during the tour here two years ago.
The enclosed arena makes for a sensational atmosphere and O’Sullivan has called on his men to “hit the ground running and give the supporters something to shout about”.
“We are aware more than anybody that the Irish support is the best support in the world,” he said.
“To split the crowd 50-50 when you are 12000 miles from home is one hell of an achievement.”
