Feeling Good!
A resounding win over the Barbarians has left a feel-good factor in the Ireland camp, and they are itching for a crack at the All Blacks and Australia.
At 33 Malcolm O’Kelly isn’t the youngest in the squad by far, but recently spoke about how much he was still enjoying his rugby and two tries against the Barbarians will definitely be one for the family scrapbook!
“We’re pretty happy. It was good preparation for what lies ahead. We’ll take the win, it was a great win for us. We’re very upbeat for travelling across to New Zealand and Australia,” he said, reflecting on the five-try victory.
“We were playing against Super 14 players. Obviously the Barbarians were not as organised or as focused as a Test side, but we still went out and scored some good tries and played some good rugby.”
“We’ve had a mixed season but we’ve got good young players, the crux of the back-line was there (against the Baa Baas) and they looked devastating.
“They were up in the faces of the opposition and they were pouncing on every loose ball and some of the young guys really shone,”
The challenge of trying to become the first Ireland side to beat the All Blacks has a spring in his step, or as he put it:
“as much as an 18-stone man can have a spring in his step!”