Final open training session: A rash of injuries having circulated from various corners of the global game this past while, many incurred in seemingly innocuous ways, the Irish management have probably been conducting a few novenas as well as touching Keith Wood's bald pate in the fervent wish that everyone boards the long-haul flight to Australia next Monday in good fettle.

And, encouragingly, Shane Horgan, John Kelly and John Hayes all looked well on course to be fit in time for the forthcoming World Cup when the Irish squad conducted their final open session at Terenure yesterday prior to departure next Monday.

Horgan, especially, looked like his old self despite only recently making his way back from a twice-torn quadricep that has limited him to just the second half of Lansdowne's AIB League semi-final defeat to Ballymena last April since Ireland's win in Murrayfield last February.

His strong running and apparent physical wellbeing rather supported Eddie O'Sullivan's contention that Horgan is a good healer and that the idea of him playing for Leinster tonight wasn't worth the risk.

"Shane Horgan and John Kelly are pretty much back to full fitness and John Hayes has made great progress. He's running again now and we're being careful with him, but when we get to Australia we expect him to be up and running," said O'Sullivan.

Ireland, of course, have already had one withdrawal in the shape of Johnny Bell.

"It was pretty gut-wrenching on Monday when Johnny Bell went down on what was pretty close to the end of the session," admitted O'Sullivan.

"When he went down, everybody knew he was in trouble. It was very sad to say goodbye to him and everybody was devastated. My heart goes out to him, and what more can one say?"

The flip side has been a call-up for the squad's second uncapped player, 24-year-old utility back Paddy Wallace.

"Paddy has hit the ground running. He's been in various squads and was in Bilbao for this very reason (Bell's Achilles tendon injury). He's fitted in very easily, as you'd expect. He's a very good footballer."

In what, by all accounts, appears to have been quite an emotional week, Geordan Murphy also visited the squad on Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a broken leg in the victory over Scotland four weeks ago.

"He found it very tough coming into the team room to meet everybody," revealed O'Sullivan. "Everybody was packing and it was like a beehive. It was very difficult for him and he's in good spirits. He's hopeful that if he gets the all-clear he may travel to the World Cup at some stage, and we'd love to see him there."

The player has intimated he could be back quicker than originally forecast after a decision to have another operation for the insertion of bolts in his ankle and perhaps will be running again within five months.

On the eve of departure inevitably O'Sullivan was obliged to look ahead once more to the toughest of the Worls Cup's five pools and the stated minimum objective of reaching the quarter-finals.

"We would maybe like an easier path to the quarter-final but the danger in that is that you mightn't know the measure of your own ability. I think if we get through our pool we'll have a pretty good picture of how good we are, and that's probably a good way to go into a quarter-final. The key is to get there.

"Maybe in an easier pool you could skate into a quarter-final and get caught by a left hook on arrival."

Recently contracted for another four years by the IRFU, O'Sullivan wasn't so concerned with the avoidance of qualifying four years down the track and so ensuring a better pool draw. The upcoming finals were enough of a consideration in their own right.

Reiterating the goal of reaching the quarter-finals as a minimum target, O'Sullivan added: "If we achieve that then we'll take it from there, which is one game away from a semi-final. I suppose it's obvious but it's important to focus like that as a team."

After a farewell function, one of many fundraisers here and in Oz, last night in Dublin, there is a final session this morning. With that the squad will be wrapped in cotton wool and sent away for the weekend to return sound and healthy for a squad and families get together on Sunday night. Touch wood.

"Then it's showtime," said O'Sullivan.