Ireland's new management team was wheeled out in public for the first time at Thomond Park yesterday, the sizeable cast of chiefs and indians backed up by thousands of screaming young extras who were bussed in from various rugby corners of Munster. It not only looked like a new era, it felt and sounded like one too.
This week is much more than just a cosmetic, public relations exercise. By the time the Irish management and trimmed-down squad assemble again after the European Cup quarter-finals the weekend after next, they will be straight into match week against Wales in the Six Nations opener on Sunday, February 3rd.
One of the striking features of the Lions' tour was the intensity of the training and how each of an equally numerous management team was straining for their half hour or more with the players every day.
Comparatively speaking Eddie O'Sullivan and the rest of his coaching ticket have less time to make their imprint. From the management's perspective the purpose of this week was two-fold - to start working together themselves as a team and also to make an impression on the players.
"Given that we're just two days into it I'm very happy," said O'Sullivan. "I think we've gelled well together and I think the team are responding very well."
All the chiefs were there, O'Sullivan (head coach), Declan Kidney (assistant coach), Niall O'Donovan (forwards co-ordinator), Brian O'Brien (team manager), Mike Ford (defensive co-ordinator), as well as the back-up staff, Dr Michael Griffin (team doctor), Ailbe McCormack (physio), Willie Bennett (masseuse), Mervyn Murphy (video analyst), Paddy "Rala" O'Reilly (baggage manager) and Mike McGurn (fitness co-ordinator).
Furthermore, the IRFU's fitness adviser, Dr Liam Hennessy, would be rejoining them yesterday evening after a day-trip back to Dublin.
All in all, O'Sullivan was impressively assured at his first press conference and wasn't about to make himself a hostage to fortune with rash forecasts regarding results in the Six Nations, preferring instead to focus on a more consistent level of performance.
Asked if there would be a major change in Ireland's style of play, O'Sullivan responded: "The honest answer to that would be no. I think the way we've been playing the game is the way we want to play.
"Now we can improve the consistency of performance within the 80 minutes and we can improve the consistency of that performance over a number of games - hopefully we'll see that in the Six Nations - and I think we can develop our game and add some new dimensions to it as well. But the simple answer to the question would be no."
Ford described his new appointment as "an honour and a privilege", describing his role to "make the Irish team better defensively. The players have been really receptive and although we've got a lot of hard work to do before we play Wales I expect a big improvement." That can be achieved, he said, "by having a system and working hard".
The way the European Cup quarter-finals have panned out clearly hasn't had O'Sullivan doing cartwheels, affording the Leinster contingent two days' less rest than if they'd been at home and O'Sullivan admitted "there's every chance there'll be another injury toll after that".
In addition to making the afternoon session public, school children were bussed in from Castleisland, Tipperary and Clare for the "pilot initiative". Funded by the IRFU's sponsors of youth development programme, Kellogg's Frosties, 10,000 posters were handed out for free and, amazingly, none littered the stands.
Yesterday's venture was, according to the IRFU's marketing manager Padraig Power, "to show kids and future Irish rugby players how the squad train and as a marketing initiative we have bussed in kids from schools who have taken up tag rugby and mini rugby recently."
The squad trained for 45 minutes and after showering returned to the main pitch to sign autographs for 45 minutes for the estimated 2,500 present. It ran like clockwork, incredibly, and will probably be emulated around the country.
