Gerry Thornley talks to some of the Ireland players who will playRussia in Siberia on Saturday, a trip brought about by Ireland's defeat toArgentina in the 1999 World Cup

However much the Irish players bemoan their extra workload this season - and specifically this week's trip to Siberia for a World Cup qualifier against Russia - to a degree they know it was of their own making.

Eight of the 26-man party which took off to Krasnoyarsk this morning were among the 17 players who played on that fateful night in Lens when the defeat to Argentina condemned them to these play-offs almost three years on and so there's an element of self-recrimination mixed with good-natured slagging.

Anthony Foley - not included in the last World Cup - still chides Keith Wood that it was his fault, although the current skipper commented: "Foley's been harping on at me for four years about that but I was fortunate in that I met Dion O'Cuinneagain for dinner about six weeks ago and I was able to give him the blame as he was captain that day. So it was actually all Dion's fault."

Brian O'Driscoll's thoughts perhaps most accurately reflect the mixed feelings among the players; a hassle intermingled with an adventure.

"I'd say it's more a combination of the two than one or the other. On the hassle front it's our own fault for doing so badly in '99, and adventure-wise you're not likely to have another trip over to that part of the world. So you have to take it for what it is and enjoy it as much as possible."

The memory of the Romanian game obviously rankles more vividly, which may be preferable to a meaningless 60-point tonking, and O'Driscoll is as candid about it as anyone.

"We played very badly in the second half and okay in the first. There were far too many unforced errors and turnovers, missed tackles; exactly really what we didn't want. What we wanted was a solid performance, no frills and we didn't get that. Now perhaps we've put ourselves under a little bit of pressure but it's our own doing and it's our opportunity again to put it right on Saturday."

"I imagine it will be fairly raucous and a cracking occasion," ventures Wood enthusiastically. "It will be a first opportunity for Russia to host a major side in a place where they take their rugby pretty seriously. Some of the facilities may not be up to what we're used to but there's no harm in getting a kick up the backside from time to time. There's a history of us being slightly pampered. But I think it's something to look forward to. It's an opportunity to play somewhere where we'll never play again. I can't think personally of a reason why I would go there on holiday so I think it's something to enjoy."

And no matter the opposition in Wood's opinion there remains one common denominator.

"One of the things that has changed is the fact that all the rugby games tend to be incredibly physical. So it doesn't matter who you're playing or how you're playing, you're going to get battered around left, right and centre. It's part and parcel."

The emphasis on international rugby so early in a season, when ideally players need to gradually build up to Test rugby, and the interchanging between the provinces and the national side are certainly not ideal.

"You can even see it at Leinster level," says Malcolm O'Kelly. "Our first game was a Celtic League match, which was quite a tough game for us and then we went straight into an international, so you're just trying to catch your breath the whole time. And all the training in the world, I don't know if it can really represent going out and playing a game for 80 minutes. But with three games under my belt I'm feeling like I've got my match fitness back, and I think a lot of the guys are feeling the same way, so we're looking for a good, solid, no-mistake 80 minutes."

Heavy usage of Ireland's lineout maul, especially in the first quarter or so, seems likely given it was tried out with significant success against Romania.

"We put a lot of work into our set-piece," says O'Kelly. "We spent a lot of time on it in the last six months and yeah, I was delighted with it. I think we missed one and that was down to over-complication, just trying different options. I'd be confident of it for the Russian game as well."

O'Kelly, chilled to below zero most of the time, would be the least likely to have any misgivings about such a potentially arduous odyssey and logistically difficult assignment.

"I don't think you could get more of a rugby outpost than Siberia. I never thought I'd be playing rugby out there and I can't wait. I'm looking forward to seeing the place big time."