What with tomorrow's match against Connacht, the national rugby coach Warren Gatland won't have much time to think about it, but the men in green have a great deal in common with their Ireland cricketing counterparts, when it comes to matches against the canny Scots. Not since far-off 1988 has Ireland bested Scotland at rugby, and that victory was at home, while the biannual visits to Murrayfield since then are too painful to dwell on, and that's got nothing to do with sore heads.
If the cricket record isn't quite as bad, the dismal fact remains that Ireland's last success in the summer game dates back to 1993. That was the inaugural year of the Triple Crown tournament, so when Ireland take on the Scots in the annual three-day, first-class match at Ormeau over the weekend and on Monday, there will be quite a few scores to be settled.
Whether or not skipper Angus Dunlop and his team have the playing wherewithal to settle them is quite another matter. During the last few days, selected players were opting out of the side. Andy Patterson, Jason Molins, Jonathan Bushe and Kyle McCallan all dropped out of a team already weakened by the unavailability of Ed Joyce and Allan Rutherford. Patterson is bothered by a long-term groin strain, McCallan has a trial with Derbyshire next week, while Joyce has returned to Middlesex.
The absentees brought about a call-up for Neil Carson, Paul Mooney and Peter Shields, who will be winning his first cap. Anyway, the to-ing and fro-ing seems unlikely to enhance Ireland's chances of success, their second time around, this summer.
Back in June, Ireland lost to Scotland by two wickets at Castle Avenue, the start of their first-ever Triple Crown white-wash: the smart money will be on Scotland again, but hope springs eternal.
The Leinster Senior League - sponsored by Whitney Moore & Keller - continues apace over the week-end. Clontarf lead YMCA by 54 points in Section A, so their respective away matches against The Hills and Pembroke tomorrow could have considerable bearing on the end result.
Tomorrow will be a major occasion for the Mayo County side, led by their captain Pat Larkin, formerly of Civil Service. He will be returning to his original club when Mayo take on Merrion 7 in the final of the Minor Cup.
To have progressed this far is some achievement for a club which was formed only last year, when just one match was played, a friendly against - you've guessed it - Civil Service. In the Mayo line-up are New Zealander Andrew Moss and South Africans Etienne Jurgens and Rian van Nierkerke, all of them rugby players with Ballina RFC. Paul Large, who hit a century against Pembroke and a fifty against Leinster in the Cup campaign, will be a force, as will his father Frank.
