“Ireland In The Spotlight” On TV3

“Rugby World Cup – Ireland In The Spotlight” will be broadcast tonight on TV3 (8pm) as the station continues its build-up towards the start of the World Cup next week in France.

Produced by independent production company Red Pepper Productions, this documentary focuses on the progress the Ireland squad has made in the four years since the last World Cup in Australia.

It will look at how the Irish Rugby Football Union has been instrumental in bringing on the current crop of players, and coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s meticulous preparation and its effect on the squad.

How will the players deal with the pressure at France 2007? How will they handle their main Pool D opponents France and Argentina? And finally, the programme will also look at how the global showpiece of rugby will galvanise the fanatical Irish fans.

Contributors to the documentary from the Ireland set-up include Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Denis Hickie, Eddie O’Sullivan and several of his backroom staff, including team doctor Gary O’Driscoll.

Speaking about the camaraderie in the current squad, O’Connell admits: “Over the last few years…we’ve become a big team. It’s great to play for Ireland but some guys are at the stage where they love playing for this team. We get on very well together – it can’t be underestimated.”

TV3 commentator Philip Matthews and TV3 pundits Michael Cheika, Jim Glennon and Paul Wallace, sports psychologist Professor Aidan Moran and Dave Mahedy, the director of Sport and Recreation at the University of Limerick, also give their opinions.

Reflecting on Ireland’s display at the 2003 World Cup, Matthews says: “If you were looking at it like a school report, you would say 2003 was satisfactory but could do better. But the fact that Australia went to the final set some kind of benchmark – yeah, we are good enough to go much further than the standard quarter-final.”

Make sure you tune in at 8pm to view “Rugby World Cup – Ireland In The Spotlight”, the fourth of TV3’s special preview programmes for the 2007 World Cup.

TV3’S REMAINING RWC PREVIEW PROGRAMMES:

Thursday, August 30, 8pm – ‘Rugby World Cup – Ireland In The Spotlight’
Thursday, September 6, 8pm – ‘RWC Live Preview’
Thursday, September 6, 9pm- ‘Chasing The Lions’