RUGBY INTERNATIONAL MATCH:FITNESS ISSUES overshadow tonight's fixture in the context of the upcoming three-Test tour to New Zealand. Isaac Boss will not travel to the land of his birth, ruled out with a quad injury. Mike Ross will go albeit with a grade one hamstring tear that requires a two-week rehabilitation period while Paul O'Connell is in London receiving medical treatment.
Connacht loosehead prop Brett Wilkinson and Ulster openside flanker Chris Henry must provide empirical evidence in tonight’s competitive forum that they have successfully rehabilitated injuries to confirm their passage to the Southern Hemisphere.
There are four positions still to be filled in the touring party. Wilkinson and Henry are shoo-ins for two of those, fitness permitting. O’Connell is undergoing physiotherapy for his knee ligament injury in London, where he will be joined by the rest of the Irish party at lunchtime tomorrow. A decision on his participation in the tour will be taken on Friday.
The Irish squad flies out to New Zealand on Thursday morning – they arrive Friday evening – so O’Connell is likely to travel later. Saturday week is the first Test match against the All Blacks. Medical opinion suggests that Ross requires a fortnight to recover from the hamstring tear he sustained during Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro12 final defeat to the Ospreys on Sunday.
This means that he could miss the first Test against the All Blacks on Saturday week and will mean that Declan Fitzpatrick’s performance tonight in Kingsholm will resonate a little more than originally thought from a playing perspective. The Irish management may opt to bring Connacht’s Ronan Loughney, who is on the bench in Gloucester, to New Zealand.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney admitted that the permutations in terms of touring personnel would largely be resolved by tomorrow. “Brett (Wilkinson) and Chris (Henry) have been going well at training. Unfortunately Isaac’s out because he wouldn’t be able to train fully for another two weeks.
“That’s half the tour gone but it doesn’t stop us from calling him in later should the need arise. Certainly for the start we will consider the other options available to us: we will decide on what they are after the match tonight.” Ulster’s Paul Marshall, who starts on the bench behind Conor Murray tonight, will appear to be best placed in the succession stakes.
The Leinster contingent travelled with the rest of the squad but has been absolved of any playing duties because as Kidney explained: “It was about best care for the (Leinster) lads. It is 48 hours after a match and they have had two big finals. With a tour to New Zealand coming up I don’t think it is prudent to involve them in this match.”
There are 10 players on Ireland’s starting team against the Barbarians – Wilkinson and Henry notwithstanding – who head for New Zealand. Ronan O’Gara, who captains the side in the absence of Brian O’Driscoll, underlined the importance of the game in producing a quality of performance. “I think it is important that we hit the ground with momentum. We have to take the tour to the Leinster lads because they have been playing all the rugby.
“It’s important we are fresh, dynamic and hugely motivated because it is a massive month ahead for Irish rugby. It’s the most challenging place in the world to go to and it asks every question of you. You know you will be tested in every department. It’s important that we are in the right frame of mind. You can read little into tonight because it will be completely different from the people starting the first Test but there are opportunities for everyone. It is a squad game these days; you can see that from Heineken rugby. You need a good 23 to win medals. That goes up a notch when you play Test rugby.”
When asked how his largely young backline had responded to his ‘mothering’ he laughed. “I was sick (last) Friday so I think the lads were dubious whether it was a real illness or not. I missed training, a double session.
“I think it is very important that you are aware of the mindset of the younger people. I was in that position once and obviously things have moved full circle and it’s a hugely exciting time. Essentially you are fulfilling your dreams. It is hugely exciting for them and so important that you don’t take those things for granted.”
IRELAND: K Earls (Munster); C Gilroy (Ulster), D Cave (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster), S Zebo (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster, capt), C Murray (Munster); B Wilkinson (Connacht), M Sherry (Munster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster); D Ryan (Munster), D Tuohy (Ulster); J Muldoon (Connacht), C Henry (Ulster), P O'Mahony (Munster). Replacements: R Best (Ulster), R Loughney (Connacht), D O'Callaghan (Munster), J Coughlan (Munster), P Marshall (Ulster), N Spence (Ulster), A Trimble (Ulster).
BARBARIANS: C Heymans (Bayonne); P Sackey (Stade Francais), M Tindall (Gloucester), D Traille (Biarritz), S Tagicakibau (London Irish), F Contepomi (Stade Francais), R Lawson (Gloucester); D Jones (Ospreys), B August (Biarritz), J Afoa (Ulster); M O'Driscoll (Munster, capt), C van Zyl (Treviso); M Gorgodze (Montpellier), F Louw (Bath), R Lakafia (Biarritz Olympique). Replacements: A de Malmanche (Stade Francais), N Tialata (Bayonne), P Tale (Biarritz), A Quera (Gloucester), R Rees (Cardiff), S Donald (Bath), I Nacewa (Leinster).
