Moving the goalposts in Dublin

Lansdowne Road officials take down the rugby posts

BBC Sport Online's Lyle Jackson looks at the logistical difficulties facing the Lansdowne Road ground staff this weekend

When the final whistle blows in the Republic of Ireland's first leg play-off game, the work will just be beginning for the ground staff at Lansdowne Road.

They will just have 18 hours to transform the famous Dublin venue from a football venue into its more customary rugby union mode.

The stadium plays host to the Ireland v Samoa rugby game on Sunday with a 1400 GMT kick-off.

So there is a massive task ahead for the ground staff and an army of helpers.

On Thursday the rugby posts were taken down and stored in the imposing east stand.

But when Mick McCarthy's men troop off the pitch on Saturday night, they will be brought out again.

The biggest job is cleaning the whole stadiumQuote Here

IRFU official Gerard Carmody

"It is a big operation," said Gerard Carmody, the assistant facilities manager of the Irish RFU who own the stadium.

"The lights will be kept on after the Republic's game against Iran.

"That will allows us to wash out the lines and mark down new ones for the rugby international.

"The football dug-outs also have to be removed and the advertising completely changed.

"But the biggest job is cleaning the whole stadium.

The big blessing, though, is that Ireland's big autumn rugby occasion against the All Blacks in not until the following Saturday, 17 November.

"A lot of people are involved."

IRFU asst-facilities manager Gerard Carmody

Because Samoa are a lesser attraction, the temporary seating which has to be installed under Fifa regulations for the World Cup play-off, can stay in place.

Once Samoa have gone, the seats will be taken out, increasing Lansdowne's capacity from the football full-house of 35,000 to the rugby maximum of 48,500.

The ground staff have undertaken this next-day turnaround before but with the football game being an evening kick-off, they have less time than normal.

But is not an exercise they expect to do many more times. Not at Lansdowne anyway.

The Ballsbridge venue's days as an international stadium are numbered.

There have been reports that Fifa could force the Football Association of Ireland to close some of the terracing because of fears over the safety of the 13,500 temporary seats.

The FAI and the Irish RFU are backing the planned Stadium Ireland project which envisages a new 80,000 sporting arena in west Dublin.