PLANET SIX NATIONS:YESTERDAY WAS an official day off for the Irish rugby team but those on the GAA beat would have seen two players getting in a little extra kicking practice at lunchtime.
Ronan O’Gara and Tomás O’Leary were joined on the freshly-manicured Croke Park surface by kicking coach Mark Tainton. They warmed up with a bit of one-touch soccer before running through the gamut of potential scenarios they could face on Saturday evening. By the end O’Gara cut a lonely figure slotting place kicks from every angle.
The Irish outhalf is just 10 points shy of Jonny Wilkinson’s Six Nations scoring record of 479.
Corporate sign of the times
A NOTABLE aspect of the Ireland versus France match was the large number of empty corporate boxes. There were 16 unused boxes, mostly behind the Canal End and on the Hogan Stand side. While nowhere near the demand of 2007 when an extra tent was required in the carpark to meet corporate Ireland’s demands for the visit of England, only six boxes are empty for their second and probably last rugby trip to the Jones’s Road.
Those who bought a box through the GAA can purchase them back at a cost of €850 per seat – a package that includes wining and dining. It is €910 through the IRFU. Box capacity ranges between 12-30 people.
It has also been revealed Croke Park dropped out of negotiations to stage the Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao world title fight to accommodate Munster’s “home” European Cup semi-final on May 2nd – presuming they beat the Ospreys.
Fans spoiled for choice
TAKE YOUR pick tomorrow night as there is a feast of rugby taking place around Dublin or even in Athlone where the Irish under-20s take on an English team, which many are touting as the Grand Slam decider.
Anglesea Road is hosting the Irish Legends against their English counterparts at 7pm. Basically, this is an over-34s match. The AIB club international against England Counties XV takes place at Donnybrook at 5pm, while the women’s international is hosted by St Mary’s RFC on Templeville Road.
“The O2 Captains’ Banquet Ball” celebrates 30 years of the IRFU Charitable Trust in the D4 hotel. Or you could sit in and watch Wales attempt to storm Stade de France.
Wallace has us in stitches
“A knee dropped, purely accidental, and as Brian (O’Driscoll) cleared the ruck I rolled back into his fist.”
– Paddy Wallace (pictured) explains how he looked like Rocky Balboa against Italy, bringing his total to 22 stitches, in three sittings, this season (the third game was against Munster).
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)