O'Cuinneagain is still a believer

RUGBY Ireland's tour to South Africa: The last time Ireland were here, a newcomer in the touring squad was Dion O'Cuinneagain, and the former Ulster and Irish back rower is now living in his native Cape Town, where he is based in the emergency ward of Somerset Hospital. He's also manager and doctor to the South African Sevens' side and is bucking most trends this week by going for an Irish win at Newlands tomorrow.Cape Town Diary

"I reckon Ireland are going to win, for two reasons. They were slightly complacent up in Bloemfontein. I don't think it was anything to do with altitude. They'd had a long and successful season, and didn't expect the Springboks to play so well which is crazy, because the Springboks are always dangerous when they're the underdogs."

"The other thing is, I don't think the Springboks have seen the best of Ireland, especially from their pack. The Irish pack will hopefully come up with a lot more fire. I'm also looking forward to seeing Shane Horgan playing at centre."

Girvan Dempsey tomorrow becomes the latest member of Ireland's 50-cap club when he is presumably afforded the honour of leading the Irish team out at Newlands. The 28-year-old joins Malcolm O'Kelly, David Humphreys, Kevin Maggs, Anthony Foley and Brian O'Driscoll in achieving the feat within the last year.

Dempsey will have to wait until next season, for one of the traditions to mark the occasion though; a salver which the players insist on buying for each player on reaching the landmark.

Shaun Payne, son of Cape Town but second generation Irish, had intended travelling to South Africa last Saturday week with his wife and child until discovering he was booked on the same flight as the Irish squad. So he deferred his flight. He didn't want to seem too eager.

Likewise, he cancelled their internal transfers on Sunday from Bloemfontein to Cape Town, whereupon he received his surprise call to travel the next day and hook up with the Irish squad as a replacement for Gordon D'Arcy.

Judging by the expanding green army Ireland should have a more vocal presence in the 50,000-capacity stadium at Newlands, but few have made a bigger impression than Jane McAleese, Carol Jordan and Siobhan Behan. City bankers by day, rugby groupies by night, they arrived in Bloemfontein minus luggage, and such was their plight that fellow travellers even lent clothes.

Still, they partied until their bags turned up in Bloemfontein airport in time for their transfer to Cape Town last Sunday. Alas Jane sustained a fractured arm.

Aside from the variety of food and wine, this week's daily excursions demonstrate the attractions of Cape Town/South Africa as a tourist destination: tours of wineries in Stellenbosch, playing with cheetahs and eagles, an "amazing" township tour, Table Mountain, etc. All in a week. Next week: on to Port Elizabeth and a saffari.

Paul Wallace, who's previously toured here with both the Lions and Ireland, is a little braver than most, as he went shark diving on Wednesday. He is out here as a pundit with Sky Sports. Aside from "working in property" he's also penning an a column in the Sunday Times.

With Sky also hoovering up more and more of the rugby market, and they may have exclusive coverage of Heineken Cup games next season in Ireland, there is liable to be more and more need for an Irish-based pundit. The worst aspect to being on the other side of the fence? "It's tough sometimes having to write about players who were your team-mates."

A sizeable number of Irish supporters are based in the Cullinan Hotel, which is also home to the Springboks' squad this week. They have floor six to themselves, although as one journalist discovered, if one inadvertently steps out at that level you're abruptly halted and turned by two security guards.