O'Sullivan refuses to panic

Eddie O'Sullivan remained defiant despite watching Ireland's ailing World Cup campaign flirt with disaster once again following their close 14-10 victory over Georgia.

Viewed as one of the tournament's many mis-matches during the build-up, Georgia produced a stunning display that almost resulted in one of rugby's greatest upsets. And it was not only Ireland's egos that were left battered and bruised as the failure to secure a bonus point could prove telling in Pool D's final reckoning.

With France and Argentina to come, Ireland's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals appear more remote than ever, but coach O'Sullivan is refusing to raise the white flag just yet, saying: "I'm not dismayed but I'm disappointed by the performance. I'm worried about why we aren't clicking."

He added: "We've had two tough games and we've benefited from them but we know we'll have to turn it up a notch against France.

"We know what France will bring to the party. The big ask is if we can improve enough to beat France. I'm an optimist so I think we can.

"Not getting the bonus point is a setback but sometimes you have to forget about not getting the bonus point when the result itself is at stake. It was a bruiser but the harder the games we have, the better. Getting a good pounding will stand us in good stead for what's to come."