Eight years ago, when the World Cup was last played in these islands and France, the theme song for the competition was about the world being in union. It was, of course, meant to stress the unity of rugby's family of nations. Much has changed since those days. During the course of the third World Cup in South Africa four years later, a major step was taken towards the game going "open", for which read professional.

It was during that tournament that the three big powers in the Southern Hemisphere agreed a television deal with Sky that established the Tri Nations and Super-12 series. In Paris, two months later, the game went professional. We should also not forget the unedifying happenings at that time in what was termed the "rugby war" between Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch.

There is not a shred of doubt that the laws on amateurism were being violated long before 1991, not to mention 1995, and the edifice was crumbling around the time of the inaugural World Cup in 1987. That was when New Zealand players were appearing with impunity in commercial advertisements. In 1991 there was no pay for play, but we did have what were termed "benefits". They brought a few rows too.

When the professional door was eventually opened officially, "The World In Union" had a hollow ring. It was disunity and not unity that we saw in all its naked aggression. Morality and longstanding friendships went out the window when money came in the door. Further elaboration is not necessary. But as rugby prepares to celebrate the fourth World Cup it is worth bearing this in mind as we await what is the first World Cup of the professional era. Too often the game has got headlines for all the wrong reasons and sadly some of those headlines have been justified.

Unfortunately, this sequence continued through the summer with the Dallaglio affair and the row between Wales and Australia as to which country had the rightful claim on a player.

Let us now share a common hope that this World Cup will enhance the game and its image and will be memorable for all the right reasons. While the inauguration of the World Cup hastened the road to professionalism, it is a competition with huge appeal and has produced some truly great matches. It has generated vast publicity and the pulse does race in anticipation of what is to come over the coming month. Each succeeding tournament has been bigger and better that its predecessor. Of course it is also about money.

In addition to gate receipts - and admission prices are not exactly cheap - television fees, the huge sponsorship and corporate involvement mean that the tournament will generate tens of millions of pounds. The whole corporate issue is a contentious one. But that is sport today: just about every big sporting occasion embraces a triumph for money over morality.

The whole area in relation to the money generated and where it will go is one worthy of examination in the weeks ahead. But on the question of money it is confidently anticipated that this tournament will show double the profit that the 1995 tournament brought in. The commercial involvement grows apace in a vastly changed scene from 1987. Why even nationality can be submerged today: where you come from no longer necessarily decrees for whom you play.

The action starts today in Cardiff and tomorrow evening the Irish open their challenge at Lansdowne Road against the United States. Ireland has a 100 per cent record against The United States. Not alone will it be a major surprise if that record is not held intact, it could prove a terminal blow to Ireland qualifying for the knockout stages. Thus the importance of the match tomorrow evening cannot be overstated.

The general belief is that the key match in Ireland's pool, which also includes Australia and Romania, will be the meeting of Ireland and Australia. That is the match that should decide who tops the pool. But it is no more important than the other two in the process of qualification.

Ireland has never failed to qualify for the last eight and I confidently expect to see that record maintained. Excluding the two qualifying matches played last November, Ireland has played 12 matches in the Cup since 1987, won six and lost six. Two of those losses were to Australia in 1987 and in 1991, both at the quarterfinal stage. No quibble with the result in 1987, but in 1991 Ireland lost a match that looked to be won and should have been won; reflecting on that still brings the pang of regret.

England is considered to have the best chance of a Northern Hemisphere team breaking the southern domination. But I wonder about that. They have a big and very strong pack, but I have doubts about their capacity as a team to win the cup.

Remember Wembley and Wales last season. The All Blacks have a very good back line, but not quite the forward power of old and the holders, South Africa, do no look equipped to retain the trophy.

If I had to bet on it, I would be putting my few shillings on Australia and I say that irrespective of the result between Ireland and Australia in Pool E. The Wallabies look to me to have a very balanced side. If, as expected, it is Ireland and Australia who emerge from Pool E then it will be a trip to Wales for the winners and a quarter-final qualifier in Lens against the third-best placed team from the groups for the runners-up.

The Pool E runners-up, Ireland or Australia, will be favoured to win in Lens. Then Lansdowne Road is the venue for the quarter-final. A semi-final place for Ireland if they meet France in the quarter-final? Every chance.

While the drama of the World Cup is being played out, let us spare a thought for Ciaran Scally, a young man who had very reasonable expectations until recently of being centre stage in the Ireland jersey. Now, he must resign himself to watching from the stands.

His playing career has come to a very premature end because of a knee injury, before he has even reached his 21st birthday. Yet he can take consolation from the fact that he achieved so much in the game, short though his career was. Only a tiny minority of those who play the game gain the ultimate distinction of playing at senior level for their country. He achieved that as a 20 year old. He won three caps and Ireland won all three matches in which he played.

He was an outstanding schools player with Blackrock College and was a member of the best Ireland schools team I have seen, the side that won the Triple Crown in 1996 and then toured Australia and returned with a 100 per cent record. His career has been all too short, but he can look back on one of outstanding achievement. It will take a while for what he did achieve to help alleviate his disappointment, but in time it will.