With just two defeats in 14 matches last season, Ireland could be seen as one of the front runners for the World Cup.

A 10-match winning run, which included the prize scalps of Australia and France, sent Irish hopes soaring.

But, when it came to the crunch, Eddie O'Sullivan's men came up well short and crushing back-to-back defeats by England and the Wallabies quickly brought expectations back down to more realistic levels.

Ireland have never felt comfortable as favourites and it would suit them fine to be regarded as the World Cup underdogs.

But they have come a long way from their wooden spoon days of the old Five Nations Championship and, on their day, are capable of giving any team the run-around.

Gone is the traditional reliance on a solid pack of forwards that brought their opponents down to their level and ensured an old-fashioned slugging match.

But Ireland have been never past the quarter-final stage at the World Cup and in 1999 they didn't even get to the last eight after losing in dramatic fashion to Argentina.

Ireland have their chance to exact revenge after being paired in the same group as the Pumas and memories of Lens are sure to come flooding back for a host of players.

The October 26 clash promises to be pivotal, with Australia hot favourites to clinch top spot from the group, thus leaving their rivals to battle it out for the runners-up spot.

If Ireland do claim that berth, that would almost certainly set them up with a belated quarter-final with France, although Scotland and Fiji might have something to say about that.

If the Irish get through, England will be their likely semi-final opponents but already the clash with Argentina is once more looking like the key to their World Cup ambitions.

Squad: Simon Best, Shane Byrne, Reggie Corrigan, Victor Costello, Girvan Dempsey, Neil Doak, Guy Easterby, Simon Easterby, Anthony Foley, Keith Gleeson, John Hayes, Denis Hickie, Marcus Horan, Anthony Horgan, Shane Horgan, David Humphreys, John Kelly, Gary Longwell, Kevin Maggs, Eric Miller, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Malcolm O'Kelly, Alan Quinlan, Frank Sheahan, Peter Stringer, Keith Wood.