As we all know the main problem with Ireland in the last 5 games has quite simply been that they haven’t put any sort of an performance together, we’ve been looking but inexplicably it just hasn’t arrived!

So as nothing has seemed to get these guys motivated in recent times, maybe this game against the Aussies couldn’t come at a better time?

Historically, particularly in the amateur era, Ireland always had the chance of pulling out of the bag a one off performance against the better sides, every now and again getting the result when you catch your opponents on a bad day, seeming to revel in the total underdog tag.

Now having two of the most dominant club sides in Europe, winning several triple crowns and a grand slam in the last couple of years you would think that those days are well gone and that Ireland would be genuine contenders every time but recently for some reason this just isn’t so.

No matter how good we ever got it has always been an achilles heel of the Irish when playing a team whom you should beat easily, instead of doing so we go down to their level and compete there struggling to get the result, instead of putting them to the sword! It was like we couldn’t perform properly without this underdog tag!

But despite the fact that this seems to be back, there is one difference…we are a much much better team than we were back then!

On Saturday if the Australians play as well as they can and Ireland does likewise, Ireland could still win! This is the difference between now and then.

As for this year’s WRC this is do or die for Ireland, not that they have to win to get through but it still that search for the performance that indicates that they can play well enough to win the rest of the games and get out of the pool.

I honestly expect a very good game on Saturday and although I hope for a win it is impossible to predict, the odds would be against it…just the way we like it!!

Shane