Smal fit for duty on tour to New Zealand

IRELAND TOUR:GERT SMAL will travel to New Zealand as part of the Irish management ticket for the three-Test tour next month against the newly-crowned world champions after missing the six nations due to ill health. In what will be a hugely welcome boost for all concerned, Smal has given the all-clear by his own and the IRFU's medical team.

The popular and highly-respected South African forwards coach has been at work and attending games since early April. “I’m looking forward to getting back to working with the players and it was great to meet up with them last week at our squad get together for the first time since I had to take time off,” he said yesterday.

“It was a worrying time for my family when I was getting these symptoms affecting my eyesight, but it was clear I was not going to be able to fully function and deliver the guidance the players needed. We needed to get to the bottom of what was going on and was advised to take some rest, so it is at times like these that you reluctantly have to listen to the advice.”

Having paid tribute to the professional manner Anthony Foley stepped in at short notice during the Six Nations, Smal said he was “feeling really good and fit and really excited” about the forthcoming tour. “It is one of the toughest places on earth to tour, so we have to be well prepared, but the opportunity to play the world champions three times in a row does not come very often.”

The Irish management are expected to take a squad of about 30 players to New Zealand which is liable to feature many of the old familiar faces – and will most likely include Paul O’Connell given the projected recovery from his latest knee injury would have him in the frame for the first or second Test in Auckland or Christchurch.

Munster hooker Mike Sherry and the uncapped pair of tightheads, Connacht’s Ronan Loughney and Ulster’s Declan Fitzpatrick are pushing for inclusion, as is Munster winger Simon Zebo, all the more so after the latest misfortune to befall Luke Fitzgerald.

Ireland will have a warm-up game against the Barbarians in Gloucester on May 29th, with the squad for the tour to be announced on Monday week – two days after the Heineken Cup final.