'BOD' on 'the most difficult group'

Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll regards Pool D, at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, as 'probably the most difficult group' at the tournament.

O'Driscoll and his Ireland colleagues were on Wednesday's drawn into Pool D at the sixth-ever World Cup, which takes place in three-and-a-half years' time in France - alongside hosts France, and possibly Argentina, who are expected to qualify as Americas 1.

"It's probably the most difficult group out of the four," said O'Driscoll after the draw at Fado's restaurant in Dublin.

"Someone had to get France in France and, unfortunately, it was us. It is likely to be Argentina as well, so its hardly ideal.

"But it is three-and-a-half years away, so we will deal with those problems then."

Traditionally, home sides have always fared well at the World Cup, with New Zealand winning in 1987, England ending as runners-up in 1991, South Africa winning in 1999, Wales losing in the quarter-finals in 1999 and Australia losing to the English in extra-time in the 2003 Final.

"Potentially, it could be the game to kick off the competition," said O'Driscoll, referring his side's scrap with France in the group stages, "and France will be looking to impress their home crowd.

"I think that half the battle is trying to keep the French crowd quiet.

"As for Argentina, that will be three World Cups in a row now if they emerge as top team in their qualifying section.

"I was involved in 1999 when we lost the quarter-final play-off match to Argentina in Lens. And it was a very nervous game against them in the last World Cup but we showed great character to come through that match."

Meanwhile, O'Driscoll's Celtic cousins, Scotland and Wales, seemed pretty happy with Wednesday's happenings, with both of their coaches expressing various degrees of delight at the draw.

"It's a pretty good draw, particularly given that we won't be facing Argentina, Fiji or Samoa in the pool stages," said Scotland's Australian-born coach, Matt Williams to scottishrugby.org.

"We've drawn the All Blacks and, in all probability, Italy, and we know plenty about both of them.

"Qualification for the knockout stages of the World Cup isn't easy and to be honest all four pools are tough."

New Wales coach Mike Ruddock, who was present at Wednesday's draw, had the following to say: "I think it is a very exciting draw.

"It looks as though there will be some games in Wales, and that could be quite critical in terms of our ambition of progressing to the quarter-finals."