Commenting on the clash he said:

‘Certainly going to a World Cup and playing Ireland will be very weird but having said that, it’s not really about me, it’s about the American players.

‘A lot of these guys who go to the World Cup will be amateur players and they will be putting their lives on hold for three or four years to try to get to the World Cup.’

Falling on the anniversary of 9/11 O’Sullivan expects this to be a massive factor in how his players approach the game.

O’Sullivan is used to coaching David v Goliath games, look how far he brought an Ireland side!

This is not his first foray to the United States, having worked with them as an assistant and technical coach before. The first game sees him take on his countrymen when Ireland and the United States meet as one of the fixtures for Ireland’s Summer Tour.

His main task will be to develop the game at a professional level within the United States and take the popularity of rugby beyond college and club level.

Many people were confused when pre-World Cup O’Sullivan was handed a new four year contract worth £1m. It would appear the small print covered the backs of the IRFU though and upon O’Sullivan’s resignation (which came sooner than the expected review into the Six Nations) he’s likely to receive a performance-linked pay-out of nearly £500k.

O’Sullivan was born in 1958 a played as a winger for Munster, before beginning coaching with clubs such as Blackrock and Buccaneers, eventually take Connacht up a gear.

Stepping up a gear to Internationals himself in 1995 he guided the Ireland U21 squad to their first-ever Grand Slam.

Things looked a little unstable at the Connacht in 1998, so O’Sullivan moved to the US and coached the US Eagles during the1999 World Cup.

Soon after the 1999 World Cup, O’Sullivan became assistant to then Ireland coach (and now Wales coach) Warren Gatland, taking over the squad himself in 2001 and immediately establishing himself with a record 54-10 win over Wales at Landsdowne.

Ireland have won three Triple Crowns in four years under O’Sullivan but the Grand Slam has eluded them – especially last season. In Six Nations terms O’Sullivan is a great winning 24 of his 35 games, finishing second three times and third twice. This season fourth was his worst result and allowed Ireland to slip to eighth in the IRB rankings (along way from second at the start of the 2003 World Cup!).

O’Sullivan remains one of the most respected coaches in world rugby, and wins against Australia, South Africa and four in a row against England have highlighted that. The real clincher was a record 43-13 win over England at Croke Park last season.

It was not to be the great World Cup that so many predicted though, struggling past Namibia and Georgia, before being beaten by Argentina and France meant Ireland were on the plane home before the group stages – something that has never happened!

It wasn’t all O’Sullivan’s fault – the team failed to gel somewhat as well.

O’Sullivan was dedicated to the Irish cause, and will be missed by those of us that think he did a sound job – maybe it’s time for a shake up at the IRFU. O’Sullivan won’t be out of rugby for long, after a well earned break he’ll pop up again somewhere – he’s too good for that not to happen!

Smith won nine caps for Ireland in the early 90′s.

Whoever takes the job has a lot to live upto, to become the most successful coach at test level again.

• Declan Kidney (Favourite)
  Kidney lead Munster to Heineken Cup glory in 2006, has also coached Leinster and has some experience of the international setup working for a short time as O’Sullivan’s assistant.
• Jake White
  The most recent World Cup winning coach stepped down from his post as coach of South Africa after their post-World Cup game against the Barbarians. White has also been linked with England.
• Mike Ruddock
  He masterminded the 2005 Wales Grand Slam, but this would be a real turn of events with Gatland over at the Millennium Stadium now.
• Alan Gaffney
  Gaffney is due to step down as director of rugby at Saracens at the end of the season, before taking up a backs coaching position at Leinster in August – making him a good temporary choice if the IRFU want to spend some time looking for a new coach.
• Pat Howard
  Howard steered Leicester to the double (Premiership and EDF Energy Cup) in 2007, before returning home to Australia to manage the family business – it didn’t take him long to be tempted back to rugby though, accepting a position as General Manager of the Australian Rugby Union’s high performance unit. He has since quit this role leaving him also in the frame.
• Wayne Smith
  Smith has a good club record, lifting Northampton and having guided Canterbury Crusaders to Super 12 glory in two seasons. His test career is not so hot, he was appointed New Zealand coach in 1999, but left after a disappointing Tri-Nations in 2001. He linked up again with the All Blacks as backs coach for Graham Henrys side in the last World Cup (a journey which ended in the quarter finals).

Who would you choose?

He remains the most successful coach for Ireland at test level.

‘At the conclusion of the Six Nations championship and having given my role as national team head coach much consideration, I have come to the decision to step down,’ O’Sullivan said in a statement.

‘In doing so I would like to thank my management team and all the players that I have worked with during my tenure as Irish coach.

‘Their commitment and professionalism in representing their country has been consummate throughout.

‘I would also like to thank the IRFU for their unwavering support of me as coach to the team.

‘In addition, I would like to thank the Irish rugby supporters who have played a huge role in driving the team on to some outstanding performances in recent years.

‘Finally, I would like to wish the Irish rugby team and the IRFU every success in the future, in a professional sport that is becoming more demanding and competitive by the day.

‘I will not be making any further comments on this issue for the foreseeable future, and I would ask that the privacy of both myself and my family at this time be respected.’

At least you lost, now you can fire O’Sullivan. We wanted to lose so we can fire Ashton.

I’m not sure he’s right and that we should lose O’Sullivan, but I can see his point!

It is, but they’ve changed a bit in that time… This is the number of wins O’Sullivan has had since he took over the Ireland squad in 2002 (from Gatland who’s Welsh side he faces in the coming weeks!).

IrishRugby.ie have compiled a record of what’s happened in that time.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN’S LIST OF WINS AS IRELAND COACH:

Saturday, February 23, 2008 (6N): Ireland 34 Scotland 13, Croke Park

Saturday, February 2, 2008 (6N): Ireland 16 Italy 11, Croke Park

Saturday, September 15, 2007 (RWC): Ireland 14 Georgia 10, Stade Chaban Delmas

Sunday, September 9, 2007 (RWC): Ireland 32 Namibia 17, Stade Chaban Delmas

Friday, August 24, 2007 (RWC WU): Ireland 23 Italy 20, Ravenhill

Saturday, March 17, 2007 (6N): Italy 24 Ireland 51, Stadio Flaminio

Saturday, March 10, 2007 (6N): Scotland 18 Ireland 19, Murrayfield

Saturday, February 24, 2007 (6N): Ireland 43 England 13, Croke Park

Sunday, February 4, 2007 (6N): Wales 9 Ireland 19, Millennium Stadium

Sunday, November 26, 2006 (AT): Ireland 61 Pacific Islanders 17, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, November 19, 2006 (AT): Ireland 21 Australia 6, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, November 11, 2006 (AT): Ireland 32 South Africa 15, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, March 18, 2006 (6N): England 24 Ireland 28, Twickenham

Saturday, March 11, 2006 (6N): Ireland 15 Scotland 9, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, February 26, 2006 (6N): Ireland 31 Wales 5, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, February 4, 2006 (6N): Ireland 26 Italy 16, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, November 26, 2005 (AT): Ireland 43 Romania 12, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, June 19, 2005 (ST): Japan 18 Ireland 47, Chichibunomiya Stadium

Sunday, June 12, 2005 (ST): Japan 12 Ireland 44, Nagai Stadium

Sunday, February 27, 2005 (6N): Ireland 19 England 13, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, February 12, 2005 (6N): Scotland 13 Ireland 40, Murrayfield

Sunday, February 6, 2005 (6N): Italy 17 Ireland 28, Stadio Flaminio

Saturday, November 27, 2004 (AT): Ireland 21 Argentina 19, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, November 20, 2004 (AT): Ireland 55 United States 6, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, November 13, 2004 (AT): Ireland 17 South Africa 12, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, March 27, 2004 (6N): Ireland 37 Scotland 16, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, March 20, 2004 (6N): Ireland 19 Italy 3, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, March 6, 2004 (6N): England 13 Ireland 19, Twickenham

Sunday, February 22, 2004 (6N): Ireland 36 Wales 15, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, October 2003 (RWC): Argentina 15 Ireland 16, Adelaide Oval

Sunday, October 19, 2003 (RWC): Ireland 64 Namibia 7, Aussie Stadium

Saturday, October 11, 2003 (RWC): Ireland 45 Romania 17, North Power Stadium

Saturday, September 6, 2003 (RWC WU): Scotland 10 Ireland 29, Murrayfield

Saturday, August 30, 2003 (RWC WU): Ireland 61 Italy 6, Thomond Park

Saturday, August 16, 2003 (RWC WU): Ireland 35 Wales 12, Lansdowne Road

Friday, June 20, 2003 (ST): Samoa 14 Ireland 40, Apia Park

Saturday, June 14, 2003 (ST): Tonga 19 Ireland 40, Teufaiva Stadium

Saturday, March 22, 2003 (6N): Wales 24 Ireland 25, Millennium Stadium

Saturday, March 8, 2003 (6N): Ireland 15 France 12, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, February 22, 2003 (6N): Italy 13 Ireland 37, Stadio Flaminio

Sunday, February 16, 2003 (6N): Scotland 6 Ireland 36, Murrayfield

Saturday, November 23, 2002 (AT): Ireland 16 Argentina 7, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, November 17, 2002 (AT): Ireland 64 Fiji 17, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, November 9, 2002 (AT): Ireland 18 Australia 9, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, September 28, 2002 (RWC Q): Ireland 63 Georgia 14, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, September 21, 2002 (RWC Q): Russia 3 Ireland 35, Centralny Stadium

Saturday, September 7, 2002 (AT): Ireland 39 Romania 8, Thomond Park

Saturday, March 23, 2002 (6N): Ireland 32 Italy 17, Lansdowne Road

Saturday, March 2, 2002 (6N): Ireland 43 Scotland 22, Lansdowne Road

Sunday, February 3, 2002 (6N): Ireland 54 Wales 10, Lansdowne Road

6N = Six Nations
ST = Summer Tour
AT = Autumn Test
RWC = Rugby World Cup
RWC Q = Rugby World Cup Qualifier
RWC WU = Rugby World Cup Warm-Up

What the wins doesn’t show is that Scotland and Italy are the most beaten teams (8 and 9 times respectively) and England have been beaten 4 times, whilst Wales it’s 6.

France are the headache with just one win in nine games, and he has never managed to beat the All Blacks – losing to them five times during his tenure in charge.

There have however been some big triumphs against three of the big Southern Hemisphere teams – Australia and South Africa twice and Argentina three times!

“Because of the direction we’re going and because of our own growing confidence, we could have a cracking game on our hands,”

“Wales are a difficult team to play against when they’re confident and they fire well when on top of their game.

“Both teams like to run and if it’s a dry day it will be a great spectacle.”

“We saw in 2005 that Wales built up momentum throughout the tournament and went on to win a Grand Slam.

“They’ve had some great results in recent years against the top teams in the world, especially in Cardiff.

“They play well as a confidence team and they’re in that frame of mind right now. They are a force to be reckoned with.”

It’ll be old rivalry for teams and coaches alike on March 8th, when O’Sullivan faces his old boss Gatland – he was Gatland’s assistant when he was in the Ireland job.

That said, O’Sullivan is quick to give praise to Gatland and Wales:

“New coaches have come to Wales and introduced fresh ideas, keeping the players on top of their toes.

“They got off to a good start in the Six Nations, getting two important wins.

“The way Warren is rotating the squad points to a much better spread of talent than Wales had in 2005, when they won the Grand Slam.

“That’s evident in the way they’ve moved selection around yet are still getting results.

“The Welsh team have much more depth than in 2005, but it’s a similar style of play they’re using.”

The previously dropped Murphy who O’Sullivan was forced to select after injury to Dempsey went on to play the game of his life, and was involved in almost every Ireland attack – reiginiting the the long running debate about who should wear number 15 for Ireland.

O’Driscoll, who was seen with his leg strapped on the bench in the 73rd minute was quick to reassure that it was not hte same problem that restricted his training during the week.