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Close Calls

'Revenge' a great headline, but it doesn't really matter tomorrow, says Eddie O'Sullivan

The former Ireland head coach is joining us on Close Calls to preview the last November international.

LAST UPDATE | Nov 24th 2017, 7:07 PM

FORMER IRELAND HEAD coach Eddie O’Sullivan joined Gavan Casey for episode 16 of Close Calls with Eir Sport.

Having already beaten South Africa and Fiji in this year’s November international series, Joe Schmidt’s men are looking to make it three-in-a-row against the Pumas tomorrow.

Two years ago, Argentina demolished Ireland in a World Cup quarter-final, but while the Venn Diagram of Irish players who saw their semi-final dreams vanquished in Cardfiff on that fateful day and those who’ll line out tomorrow remains significant, O’Sullivan doesn’t buy into the ‘revenge’ narrative.

“It’s a great headline,” he told The42.

“The truth be told, it doesn’t really matter what happened in ’15.

“Look, I think they’d like to win the game, because I think there is a bit of a scar there from the ’15 World Cup – there’s no doubt about that. There’s a bit of residue there. It was a big opportunity for us.

“Once again we got gazumped by Argentina at a World Cup, you know? But I don’t think it [revenge] will be a major focal point.

They’d like to win it, and if they won it, it would maybe – to some degree, to some degree – put that game in Cardiff to bed, but I don’t think that game ever goes to bed because it was a watershed moment for us.

“I don’t think it’s a big narrative,” he added. “They’ll probably look at some of the ways they got caught by Argentina the last time, because Argentina might go that route again.

“I think it’d be great for the media if the coaches and the players came out and said, ‘oh, yeah, this is all about revenge’, but I think it’s not – it’s about building towards the World Cup.

“Yeah, there’ll be some residue there, but I don’t think it’s going to be a major factor.”

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