John O'Sullivan

Training has been going well and they're fairly confident.

If you're not confident...

there are extreme cases where it's like whistling past the graveyard you know where you come out and you're all bullish but there's no substance to it but i think based on the performance against italy the last day there would be an element of confidence i think based on the second half against england they would have taken bits and pieces from that and i think that they don't have to be apologists for a game in which they feel that they have a genuine chance

Now, the other thing is they've got to back it up in Claremont.

That's the most important thing.

But it's good.

I think I agree with you in the sense that I think it's good to see that they're confident and they're willing to say they're not willing to hide behind, you know, couched language, if you like, in terms of, oh, well.

you know, if we've prepared well and if we play to our best, we can win the game, all that sort of stuff.

They're going over and saying, no, we genuinely feel we have a chance.

And that's the attitude that we're going to bring to Claremont, which is healthy and good and shows a development from a mental side in the group as well.

I think based on the way they played in the World Cup, yes.

I think there were elements of what they did.

They have the two extremes of playing against England and Italy.

So while it was enjoyable to watch them score nine tries against Italy, France are closer to England than they are to Italy.

And they're playing at home and this will be...

huge challenge.

So if Ireland bring fluency and control to the way they play the game, if they can get a platform up front, if they get their ball carriers over the game line and they're able to play from off the front foot, then they have a quality to be able to be competitive.

What you'd like to see is more of the second half in the England game and less of the first half.

So they have to back up that confidence and boldness going over and play from the start.

What they would have learned from the England game is that if you start poorly or if you start in a slightly anxious manner against quality opposition, you invariably pay a price.