Coach O'Sullivan wakes up to the blindingly obvious

Asked what he had learned from his trip with the Lions and from the All Blacks' test against Wales, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan paid homage to the old cliches.

He'd been reminded of the obvious - the need to control the set piece and protect possession. His answer suggested the All Blacks were succeeding by doing nothing more than performing the basics.

O'Sullivan, though, is not the sort to give much away. But his selection for this morning's game couldn't hide what he's really learned.

The two contentious selection areas for Ireland were the back row and the back three - wings and fullback.

Most New Zealanders will be puzzled as to why this is being deemed newsworthy when it's so clearly an exercise in the obvious. But that's just it. It is only just dawning on the home nations that test rugby is not all about the strength of your front five. O'Sullivan has learned from the All Blacks that their style is dictated by the composition of the back row and the strike power of the back three.

That is not to say the tight five have diminished in relevance. It remains important they are effective and aggressive at the set piece. Likewise a test first-five still needs to be capable of bossing a game.

It's the back row, however, that has the biggest influence on the outcome of the game these days. It is almost impossible to remember a game where Richie McCaw was not a dominant figure. Statistics say that McCaw will steal opposition ball in positions that offer promising counter-attack opportunities at least twice in a game and often more.

When those opportunities come up, the All Blacks need finishers in their back three. They need athletes with explosive power who can score long-range tries.

Because of the All Black tactics, they are not necessarily looking for a traditional, corner-flagging No 8. Their intention is to play at pace and get the ball into space. They want quick turnovers and McCaw can't always provide them. Some responsibility falls on Rodney So'oialo and, while traditionalists may be dubious, So'oialo has the skill-set for the game plan.

So what O'Sullivan appears to have taken on board is that his back row needs to balance his back three.

Hence, once he'd dropped the stable but ponderous Girvan Dempsey in favour of the exciting Geordan Murphy at fullback, he had no choice but to also drop the stoic No 8 Anthony Foley. When he opted for the raw talents of Tommy Bowe on the right wing, he had to give Johnny O'Connor, the best out-and-out fetcher, a run at openside.

The selections suggest that Ireland want to emulate the All Blacks and have a bash at this continuity lark. O'Sullivan saw how the All Blacks destroyed the Lions by keeping the ball alive and using an athletic back row to support a lethal back three.

Dropping Foley was a big call. The big man from Munster has been a mainstay in the Irish team since 1999. He is rugged and is just the type of player you want on a sticky surface or if your intention is to play a tight, driving game. Likewise, Dempsey's omission raised a few eyebrows. Just like Foley, he has shown himself to be dependable with his booming left boot often relieving the pressure.

But O'Sullivan can see that graft and grunt is no longer enough. Back-row forwards, wings and fullbacks should aspire for more. These are the positions that now blow the game open. Possession is no longer so important.

The All Blacks this season have shown it's possible to live off limited rations and still average 38 points. That's possible because it only takes one swish of Rico Gear's hips or one turnover by McCaw for the All Blacks to score.

Defences are so well organised, the game can only be blown open by individual flashes. With the best will in the world, those flashes are not going to come from either Foley or Dempsey and that is why O'Sullivan dropped them.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY