Ireland's International Rugby Board ranking of third in the world "won't matter" when the World Cup kicks off, according to coach Eddie O'Sullivan.
"It's nice to get a shot in the arm like that before the World Cup but, once the ball is kicked off, it won't matter to anybody what ranking you are," he said.
Ireland will be out to justify their lofty standing in world rugby when they set off for Australia next week. The Irish head for the World Cup in third place in the latest IRB rankings, behind only England and the All Blacks, and coach Eddie O'Sullivan believes their highest-ever billing is justified.
"They've ranked us sixth before but I think we've had a pretty exceptional year by any standards," said O'Sullivan, who was this week handed a new contract taking him beyond the 2007 World Cup.
"We're played 17, won 15. We've probably played more Test games this year than any other country and, because we've actually performed well in them, it's pushed us up the rankings. "
Australia and Argentina, two of the countries who might argue with the rankings, are two of Ireland's group opponents down under who have both fallen victim to the resurgence of O'Sullivan's team.