Eddie O'Sullivan remained defiant today as the beleaguered Ireland coach circled the wagons for what is possibly his final stand.
Defeat by England in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash at Twickenham would represent Ireland's worst championship performance since 1999.
They have failed to banish memories of an abysmal World Cup and it has been suggested O'Sullivan's reign will be terminated if they are condemned to a fourth place finish by England.
Ireland have enjoyed unprecedented success under O'Sullivan yet the feeling three Triple Crowns in four years is a poor return from the 'golden generation' prevails.
But O'Sullivan today offered a stirring defence of his record since being appointed boss in 2001.
'Here's a statistic - in the four years between World Cups Ireland are second only to France in terms of the number of Six Nations wins accumulated,' he said.
'In fact France have won only two more Six Nations matches than Ireland between 2004 and 2007. The Six Nations is where we set our stall.
'I don't see the Irish Rugby Football Union's policy of wanting to win every Six Nations match changing. In that context we've picked the best possible team to play England.
'And whatever happens at Twickenham Ireland will still be second only to France in Six Nations wins after five championships.'
The 49-year-old added: 'Given those statistics of course it's frustrating to not have more to show for them.
'In the best-case scenario you want to be entering the final weekend of the Six Nations playing for a Grand Slam or title and then a Triple Crown.
'But when you lose two games those are all but gone. It's still the Six Nations and there's still much to play for.
'There's no question of doing anything other than trying to get a win against England.'
O'Sullivan rejected claims Ireland have grown stale due to the length of his tenure.
Before his appointment O'Sullivan was backs coach for two years, leaving him just short of a decade's service at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland yesterday plummeted to their lowest position - eighth - in the world rankings since their inception in 2003, but O'Sullivan is adamant he retains the players' confidence.
'The team has changed so I'm probably the only constant here over the last six or seven years,' he said. 'Teams go through cycles - players come and go, combinations change, players retire. You can't say the team is getting stale because it's changing.
'So the question is can I keep the team working and fresh? That's the challenge facing me and there are varying opinions on. My position is "Absolutely", I'm very happy to do the job and I believe I can.
'The ups and down in the business means these sort of questions will crop up but that's understandable.
'The situation is as long as I'm doing the job and comfortable to do it, then I'm happy to carry on. The players are happy and that's the key issue because that means we can progress and continue.'
