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PARIS - Ireland embark on a week's search for the missing magic ahead of their key World Cup Pool D match against hosts France on Saturday (NZ time).
Coach Eddie O'Sullivan's side barely clung on for a 14-10 win over a surprising Georgia side in Bordeaux on Sunday, being denied the bonus point that would have put them top of the pool with their two toughest matches to come.
Ireland are equal on points with Argentina, who have already upset the French and meet the Irish in their final pool game in Paris on October 1.
"We haven't done anything different in training. The work the lads are putting in is right up there. As ever, we've been assiduous in our preparation," O'Sullivan said on Sunday.
"I wish I could tell you why we're not firing on all cylinders. We just haven't clicked, but I don't have a magic answer as to why that is," he told reporters in Bordeaux.
"I wouldn't say it's mission impossible," he added of the match that France must win after their Pumas debacle if they are to reach the last eight of the tournament they are hosting.
"The lads felt better about things than they did after last weekend's game against Namibia," he said of Ireland's unconvincing 32-17 win last weekend.
"However, our form has been fairly stagnant and if we keep turning the ball over we're going to be in trouble whoever we play. If you keep turning the ball over, you're not back to square one, you're back to square minus one."
O'Sullivan took heart from the fact that France are a known quantity for Ireland.
Ireland had beaten Georgia easily in two previous meetings but the Georgians have improved even from their first to second match at this World Cup, having gone down 33-3 to Argentina on Tuesday in Lyon.
"France are a very good team, but in a way at least we know what we're up against this time," O'Sullivan said.
"Georgia were very unpredictable and awkward to play against, but that's something we've got to learn to deal with.
"We're trying to pursue a style of rugby that's served us well. It's imperative to do that if we are to succeed at the highest level," O'Sullivan said.
"We can't just revert back to whacking the ball into the air and hoping to force errors out of the opposition. That won't get us big results," he added.
"It's a high-risk strategy and you pay a high price if you get it wrong, but we're trying to play a style that we've developed over the last year and a half."
- REUTERS
