What O'Sullivan is effectively saying is that if all goes well against South Africa in the first game, he'll introduce a few new faces in certain positions for the game against Australia. If Ireland don't manage to defeat the Springboks, though, those in the extended squad can look forward to a few more of those 60-second caps, you know, the ones where the substitutes warm up for 79 minutes but only take their tracksuits off when the stewards have not only been summoned to, but are actually well settled into, their end-ofmatch positions. You see, O'Sullivan has always been a coach who's valued results over all else, and in many ways there's little wrong with that, but there's no reason whatsoever why results and experimentation can't be married this November.

It's all about the context.

Right now the standing of Irish rugby in the world game is higher than it's ever been, and not simply because of a few decent Heineken Cup results here and there. The pool of quality players available to O'Sullivan (prop and out-half excepted) is pretty deep, extending to not only a decent 15 on the pitch, but also a more than reasonable shadow squad. Ireland's strength in depth is only emphasised when you look at what England have to put out on the field against the All Blacks this afternoon.

Take your pick. Denis Hickie or Paul Sackey? Jamie Heaslip or Pat Sanderson?

Eoin Reddan or Shaun Perry? Barry Murphy or Jamie Noon? Luke Fitzgerald, as inexperienced as he is, or Iain Balshaw? A fit Jerry Flannery or George Chuter?

Granted, there's some 50/50 calls in there but it's not inconceivable that Andy Robinson would, given the opportunity, choose four or five of the Irish players ahead of the English guys he's plumped for at Twickenham today. And remember, we're comparing English firstchoice players with Irish guys currently outside O'Sullivan's match-day 22. Irish rugby has never had so many players of calibre from which to choose and that's why we're confident that results and experimentation can stroll along together hand in hand over the next three weekends.

There's no room for any more excuses from O'Sullivan and the underperforming of the past 12 months has to stop. Have a think about it.

During a period when Leinster have been wooing everybody with their running rugby, Ulster claimed the Celtic League and Munster earned themselves the moniker of Europe's best, Ireland have posted a 45 per cent winning ratio, a figure admittedly exaggerated by a difficult three-match summer tour to New Zealand and Australia. But those games aside, where Ireland did some very positive things, the three performances in the November internationals last year were something close to pitiful, while a Six Nations that included tight victories over Italy, Scotland and a quite abject England can hardly be proclaimed from the high heavens.

The coach continually insists that his side's style of play has been evolving during this period but that can't really be accepted as an excuse for poor performances. In his years in charge before last season's Six Nations, O'Sullivan chose results over experimentation . . . even of the gradual variety . . . time and time again so if he gets his fingers burnt playing catch-up on the rest of the rugby world, who've been playing the ball out of the tackle for years, that's just tough. It's not a viable excuse.

So what should Ireland be looking for from this November series? Putting results aside for the moment, one of the key goals has to be the development of alternatives in a couple of key positions.

The coach has always been feted by his devotees as the most organised international coach of his generation, but if his first-choice players suffer injuries over the next 10 months, and the second level haven't been exposed sufficiently to the rigours of the international game, then O'Sullivan will be completely culpable. Even more importantly, the summer tour proved that Ireland . . . and this applies to any other international team . . .

simply can't expect to put up three big performances on successive weekends with the same 15 players.

In a game of such ferocious hits, it's just not possible to stick with the bones of the same team for more than two weeks in a row and when you consider Ireland are going to have to play five games on successive weekends if they reach the World Cup semifinals (a feat that should be their primary aim next September and October), certain options need to be investigated now.

For one, Bryan Young deserves some serious game time at tight-head over the coming three weeks, while Jamie Heaslip should start one of the three games at number eight, to extend Ireland's back-row options even further. Isaac Boss needs to be given a start, and a good half an hour at some point, to prove whether or not he really is a viable alternative to Peter Stringer at scrum-half.

Who knows, both number nines could prove themselves to be complimentary presences over the course of any given game.

At out-half, Paddy Wallace . . .a player who hasn't played at number 10 this season . . .

would seem to be O'Sullivan's preferred back-up to Ronan O'Gara, which is extremely harsh on Jeremy Staunton, who's fought off the challenges of both Alex King and Dave Walder at Wasps to establish himself as firstchoice out-half. At least, though, the inclusion of Wallace in the 22 to face South Africa puts an end to the ridiculous notion that Geordan Murphy could be Ireland's back-up out-half, and the Ulster number 12 deserves at least one start in the coming weeks. It might also be to O'Sullivan's advantage to give Andrew Trimble a run in one of the centre positions, probably at 12, at some time over the next three games.

The Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll midfield axis is undoubtedly Ireland's best option, but it might be no harm to give the Ulster man a hit-out in his favoured position, if only to expose him to the position in case one of the other pair picks up a knock before, or even during, the World Cup. A bit of choice never hurt anyone.

In hoping O'Sullivan has the foresight to at least try some of the options above, it's imperative that the game development that has been going on over the past 12 months (albeit 12 months delayed) continues during this series. Ireland have undoubtedly kept the ball in hand more, and kicked it a hell of a lot less, since O'Sullivan was heavily criticised at the conclusion of last year's November Internationals and we can only hope too that the depth added to a previously flat backline . . . it suited none of its proponents . . . is continued over the course of the next three games.

It reaped its rewards with a couple of tries during the summer, particularly the first try in the first test against the All Blacks, and its continued development could reap scintillating rewards on the front foot especially with the depth of talent O'Sullivan has to choose from 11 to 15. There's still no sign of any input from David Knox, the architectin-chief of Leinster's mesmerising lines of running over the past 15 months, but the signs are that O'Sullivan could be getting things right all on his own. Let's hope it all gets done before next September.

Bearing all that in mind, Ireland's goals from this series are simple, three wins out of three, with a touch of experimentation to boot.

O'Sullivan seems to view those twin goals as mutually exclusive but that's the easy way out of things. There's no reason why Ireland can't beat all before them this November while exploring a couple more options before the World Cup.

At the moment they're fifth in the IRB World Rankings, behind both Australia and South Africa. By the end of the month, we'll be asking questions if they're not, at the very least, making a charge for third.

THE TOURISTS: HOW THE OPPOSITION ARE SHAPING UP SOUTH AFRICA

Saturday, 11 November, 5.00 Where they're at Things aren't so bright for South Africa heading into this tour. They lost four out of their six Tri-Nations games this summer and con"dence in coach Jake White appears to be at an all-time low. Their 21-10 victory over the All Blacks in Rustenburg towards the end of the competition has bought the coach some time, but his selections for this tour, especially the omission of "ankers Kabamba Floors and Luke Watson, has put White in con"ict with the SA rugby media.

Irish history South Africa have travelled to Ireland on 10 occasions since 1906, winning seven games, losing two and drawing one "xture, back in 1970. One of those two defeats, on a 17-12 score line, came on their last visit back in 2004.

November aims With a test against Ireland, and two against England at Twickenham, it's quite conceivable that South Africa could head home from this tour with just one, or possibly no, victories to their name.

White will want to rediscover a bit of the South African passion that went missing in the early weeks of the Tri-Nations, and also see if he can develop Butch James (right) into an international-class out-half.

AUSTRALIA Sunday, 19 November, 4.00 Where they're at Their Tri-Nations performances were better than most expected, even though they only won two games. John Connolly and his coaching team are still only "nding their feet at international level but there is much to be optimistic about, although their front row is still a weak-spot and they haven't "gured out how best to arrange their multi-talented backline. Still a lot of work to do before 2007.

Irish history The Wallabies have come to Ireland on 14 occasions since their "rst tour in 1927, winning 10 games and losing four. On their last visit, in November 2005, they enjoyed a comprehensive 30-14 victory at Lansdowne Road.

November aims After yesterday's draw, the Wallaby goals are pretty simple for the coming three weeks. They'll want to continue tinkering with their backline combinations until everything clicks, and they'll be happy for their front-row to gain something close to parity in a couple of games. Oh, and a few wins wouldn't be refused either.

PACIFIC ISLANDS Sunday, 26 November, 2.45 Where they're at The Paci"c Islands have played just three full international matches since they were formed back in 2004, losing to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand back in the summer of that year. However, they did genuinely scare the big three over the course of those "xtures and they have an extremely impressive squad for this tour. If they manage to gel quickly, they'll cause plenty of trouble.

Irish history Ireland have never played the Paci"c Islands as a grouping, but they have lost once at home to Samoa, or Western Samoa, as they were back then.

The score in 1996 was 40-25, on an embarrassing night for Irish rugby.

November aims Because they'll be participating as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa at the World Cup in France, it's not as though the Paci"c Islands can progress as a team during this tour, but a victory in any of their games over Wales, Scotland and Ireland would give the whole region a huge psychological lift heading into the tournament.