Staples ready to lead Ireland from the back

SIMON GEOGHEGAN and Neil Francis, who have been under treatment for a thigh strain and chest infection respectively, took a full part in the training session at Anglesea Road yesterday in preparation for Ireland's opening match in the International Championship at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

Both had missed training sessions last weekend and, following an unusually protracted session under the new Ireland team management - it lasted nearly two hours - Geoghegan made, a quick departure to the dressing room, ahead of his colleagues, but said that he was "fine".

Coach Murray Kidd said the session ran on "because we had some technical matters to attend to and it was a little slower than usual." But he and manager Pat Whelan expect the entire squad will be fit.

Francis certainly seemed to have shaken off his illness. Geoghegan's injury is such that he is likely to have continuing treatment on the thigh strain and, one hopes, there will be no adverse reaction to his exertions yesterday.

Full back and captain for tomorrow's senior game, Jim Staples, who will be leading Ireland for the first time in a championship match, stressed the importance of victory. "It is quite some time since we won our first match in the championship and we do not want that trend to continue. Losing the first match makes life more difficult for what is to come. I think people deserve to see us win the first one this tinge.

In fact, Ireland last won their opening match in the championship as long ago as 1988, when they beat Scotland 22-18 in Dublin.

"As is usual on the Thursday before a championship match, especially the first championship match, everyone is a little tense. We all know this is a far bigger match than the two we have already played, but we have prepared well."

Staples was at pains to point out that there is absolutely no way Ireland will underestimate the Scots. "Last season everyone was saying they would get the wooden spoon. But they ended up playing for a Grand Slam. Nor would I take too much notice of the fact that the two results they got this season have not been good. They have lost a few players, and obviously Gavin Hastings is a big loss.

"But just as when Finlay Calder and David Sole retired, Scotland again got an inspirational captain. His successor at full back, Rowan Shepherd, is a very good player. But our concentration is really on our own performance. If that is good enough, we will win.

Staples, in fact, has not played against Scotland since the World Cup match at Murrayfield in 1921. That afternoon he was the recipient of a late and very controversial charge by Calder. Staples was chosen for the match against the Scots last season, but had to withdraw because of illness.

"The preparation has been good. Now the mental as well as the physical elements come into play," said Kidd. "We went quite well in the two matches played, and the players have performed well on the training field. But about 4.30 on Saturday we will have a much better idea of exactly where we stand. "No matter how well you perform in training, it is how you perform on the pitch that matters," said Whelan.

Asked how big a setback defeat would be, Kidd said: "That is not part of our planning."

Ireland will have a light, 40 minute session at College Park late this morning, while the Scots will train at the Garda complex at Westmanstown this morning.

The Ireland A team, who meet Scotland at Donnybrook this afternoon, trained at the Greystones ground, Dr Hickey Park, yesterday. The good news to emanate from the session is that flanker Victor Costello has recovered from a groin strain and is fit to play.

. Dean Richards" late call ups to the England replacements' bench for tomorrow's match against France in Paris was too little too late, according to one of his long serving team mates.

The 33 year old Leicester number eight, called in following the withdrawal through injury of Northampton's Tim Rodber, is the man to cause problems for the French pack, according to former England hooker Brian Moore.

"I would never have gone into such a game without `Deano' because of my experience of playing with him," said Moore (34).

"They say his presence does not speed the game up, but I think he brings balance to the back row. He does the largely unseen jobs of scrapping for the ball and keeping possession, and you need somebody who can do that against the French.

"One of our best victories as a Test team came in South Africa in Pretoria when we played at altitude and it was one of the fastest internationals I have played in. England won well and Dean was a very important figure in that victory.

Moore believes that France are favourites to end their run of four successive defeats by England in Paris.

"If I had to put money on it I'd bet on France, even though I don't want to," Moore told a Sports Writers' Association of Great Britain luncheon in London yesterday.