November internationals: Rugby analyst Matt Williams explains why Eddie O'Sullivan must start using the strength in numbers at his disposal

Performance, aggression, precision and confidence are the key aspects for Ireland in the coming month of Test rugby. If all these boxes are ticked there is no reason why a perfect record cannot be attained in this first phase of World Cup preparations.

Including last June's tour of New Zealand and Australia, Ireland will have faced one or other of the big three from the Southern Hemisphere on five occasions in 2006. One victory from five outings would be seen as failure. No return at all would be a disaster. Ireland need to perform.

The visits of South Africa and Australia to Dublin are all about building a confidence base that can be taken into the Six Nations and ultimately forward to France.

These are rare and valuable chances to play the type of opposition that can be expected in the World Cup quarter-finals and potentially beyond.

Eddie O'Sullivan's extremely talented crop of players have yet to fulfil their potential. We need to start seeing the sum of the parts from Ulster, Munster and Leinster being translated into consistent, high-quality performances.

Ulster's emergence recently has been a new bonus for Ireland. Their dismantling of Toulouse at Ravenhill reminded me of Leinster back in 2001.

It's all about getting this mix right, or to put it another way, building on the provincial achievements. The quality of player is available, as is the strength in depth - except at prop - so it comes down to joining the dots correctly.

Coaching is part science, part art. It is O'Sullivan's task to get the team to gel. This is the art of coaching.

South Africa and Australia arrive in Dublin with weakened squads and are there for the taking. The Springboks are not the team they were in 2004, when they could physically bully opponents into submission.

The Australians often struggle against Ireland but the wrong tactics were used in Dublin last November, while in Perth, Ireland were just plain tired.

Ireland need to attack the Wallabies from everywhere - be it off quick tap penalties, counterattack, the lineout or the creaking Aussie scrum. The Wallabies hate slow ruck-ball. While Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy are masters at the steal in the tackle, the backrow need to slow possession at the breakdown.

I would like to see Keith Gleeson in the team, as he would turn the breakdown into a dockyard brawl. Richie McCaw was hugely effective against Australia in the Tri-Nations.

Certain combinations are crucial. The backrow balance doesn't seem right - Denis Leamy, Neil Best, Simon Easterby and David Wallace are too similar in style. The Gleeson factor will be sorely missed. Having said that, I was really impressed by Neil Best for Ulster against Toulouse.

The other important units are centre and the back three. The individual pace and power are there in abundance but now they must perform as a cohesive attacking force.

I would welcome Girvan Dempsey's selection at fullback. Andrew Trimble has displayed a newly discovered confidence on the wing for Ulster; he must reproduce the same aggression in the green jersey. D'arcy must be employed more as a battering ram.

It is also great to see Frankie Sheahan back in the frame.

Selecting Paddy Wallace is a brave move by O'Sullivan but only if he is afforded game time. I have a lot of belief in Wallace, having coached him at Ireland A. It has taken longer than I would have liked, but his emergence could be the biggest plus this month.

The Irish bench in general must be utilised. O'Sullivan's team needed to win one of those games on the summer tour. The days of a 15-man game are over for a long time now. To develop, Ireland must start utilising the bench, but I suspect Paddy Wallace and a few others will have a few splinters come the end of this month. And what will we have been learned then?

The Tri-Nations countries have been playing a 22-man game for several years now. New Zealand have turned it into an art form.

To beat the best, Ireland must start delivering tries off first-phase possession, be it from the lineout or scrum platform. Ronan O'Gara must commit his man to free up space for O'Driscoll and D'Arcy.

I long to see a back-line set-play where O'Driscoll attacks the inside shoulder of his opponent for a half break and then releases the supporting backrower, who links with the trailing back line. It's not hard - it's just not being practised.

Support lines are essential for continuity. The best support lines I've seen at Lansdowne Road are the ropes holding up the beer tents.

Ireland need to use their blindside wingers as decoy runners off set-plays and phase ball, or have them enter the line at different angles. Denis Hickie is an expert at this, and Trimble can learn off the man he has usurped on the left wing.

The Pacific Islanders? I doubt they even know themselves what kind of performance is forthcoming.

This is the opportunity to look at the "what if?" scenarios of how Ireland perform when the key cogs in the side - O'Driscoll, John Hayes, Peter Stringer, Paul O'Connell and O'Gara - are out of the equation.

Such strategies are being employed by Australia and South Africa on this tour, while New Zealand have been developing a second and third string for three years. That the All Blacks have beaten every nation on the planet during this period is a testament to their awesome well of talent.

There is the danger of a poor performance, even defeat, when resting so much quality, but not providing the next tier of player with experience is even more perilous.

Niall O'Donovan is one of the best lineout coaches in the Northern Hemisphere but there is an onus this month on the other assistant coaches to stamp their marks on the technical and tactical aspects of the team performance - especially continuity and attack. Otherwise, Ireland will not be a significant threat at the World Cup.

Barry Murphy of Munster is not in this Test squad, but he needs to be looked at on a higher level.

Maybe Shane Horgan should be given a run back in the centre. But definitely have a look at Paddy Wallace in the number 10 shirt.

This Ireland team can cement their position in the top tier of world rugby over the coming weeks, but it's equally important to explore and develop the depth of the squad.

To achieve the November goals, some good old Irish aggression is required.

The art, not the science, of coaching and team building will determine if the X factor missing in recent seasons returns to make these talented players into a great team.