By Cathal Dervan

RUGBY

Irish coach Eddie O’Sullivan has challenged his team to live up to their new found status as potential Six Nations champions after a facile win over the United States at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

The Irish scored seven tries, all of them converted by scrum-half David Humphreys, as the Eagles were downed on a 55-6 scoreline in front of just over 28,000 fans.

“There is a great confidence and belief in the squad now and the aim is to move on to the Championship and the Grand Slam,” said O’Sullivan. “England know how hard it is to do that, they had four years without the Slam before they won one but that is the level we have to aim for now.”

As for the victory over his former US employers, O’Sullivan refused to get carried away. He added: “It took us a while to get into the game, playing as we did, into a strong wind and rain in the first half. Once we got field position and kept them under pressure the scores were going to come.

“The guys who haven’t been playing Test rugby for a while, quite a few of those got a good hit out. A good example was David Humphreys. At the start of the game he looked a bit rusty, which you’d expect, but as the game went on he grew in stature and by the end he was really controlling the game.

“It was one of the issues about the game that the US are mostly amateur players and they would struggle over 80 minutes of professional rugby.

“We knew for the first 40 they were going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at us and they would do the same for the second 40 - but there weren’t many kitchen sinks left after half time.”

Humphreys kept the pressure on regular out-half Ronan O’Gara against the Yanks with a 20 point haul, enough to earn him a place in the record books as the first Irish player to score over 500 points in international rugby.

“It took us a while to get going certainly - but we played some good stuff in the second half,” said Humphreys after his first start in 13 months.

“With the wind, we got the field position to do some damage and it was great to see the likes of Tommy (Bowe) and Geordan (Murphy) show what they can do with ball in hand.”

Debutant flanker Denis Leamy did well against the US but knows he has a battle on his hand to stay in the Irish squad, never mind the team, with the likes of Johnny O’Connor also knocking on the door.

“Saturday’s game was all about getting me on the international ladder – that was always the idea,” said Leamy. “I want to be involved in the internationals. Hopefully I will be there, or thereabouts. The caliber of back rows around is phenomenal at the moment. To get an opportunity to get out there and show what I have to offer was great.

“It took me a little bit to get settled, but once I did I started to get going and get a bit of ball. I was happy enough with the way things went.

“The ball was very slippery but I played my natural game. I was difficult at the breakdown. They were piling in on us - it was tough going in that area.”

Ireland now turn their attention to Argentina, visitors to Lansdowne Road next Saturday after an impressive 24-14 win over France in Marseilles last Saturday that included 14 points from Leinster centre Felipe Contepomi.

“Without doubt, taking on the Pumas will not be easy,” said O’Sullivan after his 27th win from 38 outings.

“We have a bit of a history with them in recent years and it will be a tough test of our progress. Three home wins from these autumn internationals was our goal and we’ll certainly be ready for the Argentine challenge.”

GOLF

Ireland’s Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington were left bitterly disappointed after finishing third behind England at golf’s World Cup in Seville on Sunday.

The Irish pair shot a 65 in the final round foursomes but still ended up three shots behind the English and two behind second placed Spain.

“We gave it a real good go,” said McGinley afterwards. “What can you say but we are bitterly disappointed. It just shows that the standard of golf in the world right now is bordering on the ridiculous. 

“I don’t think the people at home can appreciate the standard of golf and what it’s like. I mean, we’ve played our hearts out today, almost a faultless round, and lost ground. It is disheartening, I have to say. Very disheartening.” 

Harrington has broken into the world’s top six for the first time on the back of the Seville result.

Philip Walton was the toast of Irish golf last week after wining his European Tour card for 2005 at the qualifying school in Spain.

Former Ryder Cup hero Walton, now 42, came through the grueling six round event to get his card back at the fifth year of asking.

And he admitted: “The stress is unreal - worse than the Ryder Cup. That was team stress. But this is a marathon, and I am a sprinter. It is unbelievable out there.

“This was going to be my last time trying to get my card back - if I had not done it I would have given up golf. But I have a lot of people back at home to thank for having faith in me.

“I reached the point when I thought I would not get back. My confidence is still not 100%, but it is coming back.”