RUGBY: Gerry Thornleytalks to Alan Quinlan about his hopes of making the Ireland squad for France

He's becoming a master at this lark. Akin to Lester Piggott coming down Tattenham Corner near the back of the pack before timing his charge in the last furlong, Alan Quinlan is the Irish player seemingly making the quickest late charge as Sunday's finishing line for the World Cup looms.

Eight years ago, uncapped, Quinlan guested for Connacht against Ireland at the Sportsground and scored a brace of tries, eventually being called into Ireland's World Cup squad as a late replacement and making his debut against Romania.

He made it comfortably four years ago, scoring the critical try "which saved Irish rugby" (as he's often chided) in the win over Argentina, although from that moment onward he's been bedevilled by ill-luck.

A serious knee injury sustained in the Heineken European Cup opener against Sale left him in a race against time but he defied the odds and medical wisdom to make a cameo appearance in Munster's win over Biarritz in the Cardiff final in April 2006.

Flying again this season, he'd been man of the match in the first of Munster's back-to-back wins away to Cardiff and had a big game in the return encounter. But a stamp on Cardiff's Mark Lewis resulted in a six-week ban, upheld on appeal, which in real terms translated into a 12-week ban that also resulted in him missing the Six Nations.

"I dropped back a bit during the Six Nations due to the suspension. I suppose I was certainly down the pecking order and have come with a little bit of a late charge. I've had a very good pre-season, fitness-wise, and strength-wise. I'm probably in the best shape ever. I know everybody is saying that, but from my point of view it's my first pre-season in a while that I've had no bangs or knocks or recovering from injuries."

Quinlan's achievement in making even a cameo appearance in Munster's European Cup win was one of the stories of the Irish professional era, but he found he was still struggling in the pre-season this time last year.

"I was asking myself if it was because I was pushing on - doubting myself a little bit. But irrespective of whether I make the World Cup squad or not I've been so happy with myself to know that I can get really fit again. In Munster I've been up at the front with all the academy fellas, and that's made me happy anyway."

At 33, he reckons he still has some big games left in him, and not unreasonably he makes the point that he's a relatively low-mileage 33-year-old, especially in latter years.

"I've averaged about eight games a year for the last four years. It's been really frustrating. And I suppose it's every player's dream to go to the World Cup, and after what happened the last time it would be extra special for me to be involved. There's a fantastic team building over the last couple of years and I'd love to be a part of it, and I know I don't have years ahead of me.

"It's my last chance to play in a World Cup, and I'd love to go but I realise it's going to be a difficult, close call."

Quinlan made the most of his end-of-season Magners Celtic League run-in and appearance in the second Test in Argentina when, over the 80 minutes and pound for pound, he was probably Ireland's best player.

"Even if I don't make it, I'm really happy and proud of myself to have brought myself into the mix," he reflects, "and certainly if I was to be selected I can offer a lot to the squad."

He admits to feeling envious at times these past four years as the careers of contemporaries blossomed: "But it's made me more resilient and certainly more determined. If I can stay injury-free, whatever happens here, I can enjoy my last few years of playing professional rugby and I certainly want to maximise my time.

"If the day arrives that I am struggling at the back of the pack fitness-wise, I'll be the first one to put my hand up but at the moment, thankfully, I'm up near the front. I'm not being cocky; I'm just glad to be feeling so good."

Quinlan is on the bench on Saturday, when also covering the second row, and the possibility of him doubling up in the World Cup could also open the door for him, and by extension another of the backrowers, in contention.

Asked if this is something he'd be happy to do he replies, "I'd clean fellas' boots if it meant I could go to the World Cup." And of course lock is a position of which he's had some experience.

"Obviously I have to tighten up a few issues and work with the other secondrows but as I've said before, I'd play anywhere to get to the World Cup."

Quinlan's mind wandered back to that invaluable and fateful try he scored against Argentina in Adelaide four years ago, when rupturing his shoulder in the process. Given the choice now, he admits, he'd take not scoring and not being injured.

Like his fellow backrowers, Quinlan knows he's in quite a scrap: "Everybody knows how many backrowers are there, and quality backrowers, and only five players (will be picked).

"We were told before Argentina, and everybody knows, that three of them are picked - Simon (Easterby), Denis (Leamy) and David (Wallace). That's leaving it pretty tight.

"Everybody has been working hard to try and do the best they can in the last few weeks and put it to the back of their minds, but there's going to be a few disappointed people next Sunday. Hopefully I'm not one of them, but at least I'm in the shake-up."