EMERGING IRELAND TAKE on Russia in Bucharest this afternoon [2pm kick-off] with five full internationals in their match-day squad.
While the senior squad plot a series win over in Argentina, Emerging Ireland coaches Neil Doak and Dan McFarland will hope to take the scalp of three Test sides — the Russians, Romania and Uruguay.
The side are led by Leinster flanker Dominic Ryan, who told TheScore.ie that second string Ireland, with star players Craig Gilroy and Ian Keatley in the starting XV, are the team everybody wants to beat. “We’d be the big scalp to take,” he said. “We’re the favourites for this tournament and many people would say it is up for us to control our fate. We’re here to win this championship, though, so the mentality is to beat go unbeaten.”
Mechanical difficulties saw the squad delayed heading out to Bucharest but when they arrived, on Tuesday, they had time to catch the tail-end of the Rugby Champions Cup draw. Leinster, as a tier one side, were spared most of Europe’s big guns and the flanker notes they picked the right time — the Pro12 final against Glasgow — ‘to have our best game of the season’. He added:
All the pools are that much tougher now that there are only 20 teams,” said Ryan. “There was a bit of slagging after the draw. The Munster lads felt they were hard done by but we were joking with them that Clermont were past it. Ulster, in truth, probably got the hardest group.”
Leinster go into the opening half of next season without Ryan’s provincial teammates, John Cooney and Quinn Roux. The scrum-half and lock have been loaned to Connacht. “It’s unfortunate that they had to leave to get game time,” said Ryan. “They are two really talented players but Leinster have that luxury of having so many top players for each position. It’s great that Quinn and John can develop their game under the IRFU umbrella.”
Having captained Leinster A to British & Irish Cup success last month, Ryan was deemed the obvious candidate to take over from injured first-choice Mike McCarthy. He is ‘very proud’ to be captaining his country but reveals he is not one for rousing pre-match speeches. “I’ll talk when in need to talk but wouldn’t do it too much. I rather lead by actions.”
Emerging Ireland, he says, will be using many of the same patterns and calls that the senior squad will in Argentina, and next season. “We’re looking to exactly emulate what the senior guys are doing — set-pieces, line-outs, attacks — so, if one of us were to be called into the squad later in the year or at the Six Nations, we’d be ready to go.”
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has included players such as Noel Reid, Jack McGrath and Rhys Ruddock in his matchday 23 for Saturday’s Test. Ryan is confident that many of his current teammates could make the step up with ease. He declared, “I’ve no doubt that people in this squad will be at the World Cup next year. I think there are five people in the Ireland [senior] squad that played with Emerging last summer. I don’t see why that can’t happen again.”
Ryan is heading into his final contracted season at Leinster and acknowledges that the next 12 months are crucial in his career. “It’s a big year for me and while I’m hopeful that I can make that step up to play for Ireland, my priority is to play for my province regularly.”
