Fewer Breaks for Marked Man O'driscoll

After Ireland's crushing wins over Romania and Namibia were achieved without Brian O'Driscoll scoring a try, the player widely regarded as the world's leading outside centre finds his role changing from plunderer to provider in the face of stiff marking.

"As the name gets bigger, the gaps get smaller," Ireland's coach Eddie O'Sullivan said yesterday when asked whether he was concerned about O'Driscoll's lack of line breaks in the opening two matches.

O'Sullivan has made few changes from the side that defeated Namibia for Sunday's key encounter with Argentina at the Adelaide Oval - a game that should secure the winners a place in the last eight. David Humphreys edges out Ronan O'Gara at outside-half and the power of Alan Quinlan and Victor Costello is preferred to the pace of Keith Gleeson and Eric Miller in the back row.

"It is hard on Keith and Eric but their omissions have nothing to do with their form; it is merely a reflection of the opposition. Argentina are a very physical side and we have to be able to match that."

The defeat by the Pumas in the quarter-final play-off four years ago will be a motivational factor. "We want to get that monkey off our back," O'Driscoll said.