On the road without Rala: Bag man still has last word

AUCKLAND DIARY:A Tour Miscellany Compiled by GERRY THORNLEY:

ONE NOTABLE absentee from the Irish touring party is Patrick ‘Rala’ O’Reilly. Indeed, it just isn’t the same without him.

‘Rala’ has been Ireland’s baggage master for the last 20 years, as well as the last Lions tour in South Africa, but has missed his first tour in that time span when suffering a back injury a week before departure.

He has been replaced by John Moran, who has worked in the IRFU’s logistics office for the last decade, and the team’s long-serving masseur, Willie Bennett, who also fulfils Rala’s role as the squad’s ‘Mother Superior’ figure.

He is here in spirit though, with his ‘saying of the day’ being either devised or approved by him before appearing above his name in the team room.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Because you’re representing your country against the All Blacks in their own back yard. I think that, as a professional player, if you can’t get yourself fired up at that thought alone then you are probably playing in the wrong game.”

– Rob Kearney, when asked by a Kiwi journalist how does he fire himself up for this weekend’s game.

On solid ground: Ireland go where Lions once tread

AS IS custom hereabouts at this time of year, the rains arrived in Auckland yesterday and are set to remain until at least Friday, with a good chance of showers for Saturday night’s game. One source of comfort is that the Eden Park pitch drains superbly, as do the majority of the mostly sand-based pitches in New Zealand.

The surface for this week’s sessions at Onewa Domain, the grounds of Takapuna RFC, has been very well received by the Irish coaches and players.

France were based in the same hotel, the Spencer on Byron, for three weeks of their World Cup campaign last year as were the Lions party in 2005.

Indeed, somewhat memorably, Clive Woodward had the Onewa Domain wrapped in red sheeting so as to avoid prying Kiwi eyes and ensure privacy for the brilliant drills and tactical masterplan that would underpin an, eh, 3-0 series defeat!

Seniors enjoy Junior moment : News of under-20 victory is warmly greeted

THE MOST positive news of the day, indeed of the tour so far, was undoubtedly the sensational 23-19 victory by the Irish under-20s over South Africa in the IRB Junior World Championship, not least as it was against the hosts in Stellenbosch.

“I got the news at 7.30 this morning,” said Irish manager Mick Kearney yesterday.

“I went down to the team room and the first thing Brian O’Driscoll said to me was ‘did you hear about the under-20s’ fantastic victory?’ It went around the team room like wildfire to be honest.

“Everybody is absolutely thrilled. The players would have known the guys having come through the Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster academies.

“So there was a great buzz about it and a real feeling that this is one of the great victories of Irish under-age rugby – if not the very best. I would say the very best once-off victory.”

Kearney went to both the 2010 and 2011 Junior World Cups in Argentina and Italy as manager to the under-20s.

“I know from playing South Africa in Italy last year that they are big strong men, a lot of them play in Super 15 rugby so to go out and beat them on home soil – they would have been one of the favourites and would have wanted to win it and in front of a big crowd in Stellenbosch – is absolutely phenomenal. An extraordinary achievement.”

They also did it without Paddy Jackson, their first-choice outhalf for the under-20 Six Nations, and even if they achieve a fifth to eighth seeding it would at least ensure better draws than they’ve had in the competition over the last few years.