Preview: Ireland vs Barbarians
This is the warm up for the summer tour, the only thing really missing is the Munster boys for this long awaited clash tonight. This will mean game time for some of the more senior players and a chance to stake their claim on the plane to Down Under for some of the youngsters.
It’s a non-cap match, but this make the game no less serious for Michael Bradley’s squad with all but three destined to be on that plane next month. The need for game time is paramount with Leinster and Ulster players not having played since the end of season on May 9th - the Munster squad were in action on Saturday and hence won’t feature tonight.
O’Driscoll is clearly looking forward to the game:
“This game offers a chance for certain individuals to show their worth playing for Ireland, playing in a senior jersey for the first time.
“For others it’s a chance to impress and get game-time under your belt going into what are going to be two really tough internationals.
“We’ll be looking for a good, solid performance - the basics done well and good ball retention. There’s no onus on us to play their style.
“We’ll adopt whatever style we need. I’ve said to the players there are no wrong decisions, just make sure you back up your decision,”
Mike Ross and Bob Casey probably have the biggest point to prove with Casey (who will captain Ireland ‘A’ in next months Churchill cup) not having tasted senior games since 2000, and Harlequins prop Ross making his first senior appearance.
The bench should be itching to show themeselves tonigh with the four uncapped players (Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell, Frank Murphy and Jonathan Sexton) all keen to impress and stake a claim in one of the squads.
After that horrid World Cup and a tight Six Nations the back line is the key tonight, all seven of those starting will be on the plane to Wellington on Just 1st and must be ready to face the All Blacks. Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Tommy Bowe could stake their claim to be in those jerseys with a good performance tonight (although ask Girvan Dempsey, Ian Dowling, Gavin Duffy and Geordan Murphy about that and you might hear a different opinion).
There’s excitement for a new pairing at centre with Brian O’Driscoll pairing up with Luke Fitzgerald for the first time, having only played on the wing or off the bench now Fitzgerald will have to impress tonight to cover the injury laden centre stage.
Bradley was last involved with the Ireland squad as assistant coach to Niall O’Donovan for the 2005 summer tour in Japan:
“It will be an interesting game. The traditions of the Barbarians is to keep the ball in play and attack at every opportunity from every position in the pitch.
“If you look at Super 14 and the way that has gone in the last couple of weeks, that’s the type of rugby being played over there so they’ll give us an opportunity to contend with that type of an attack coming at us for a consistent period in a match.”
Ireland have played the Barbarians on two previous occasions - they lost the Peace International 70-38 at Lansdowne Road in 1996 and, four years later, they were pipped 31-30.