IRELAND'S OUTLOOK

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1935, Page 11

IRELAND'S OUTLOOK

TEAM ALMOST "READY-

MADE"

Irish Hugby followers will, for more reasons than one, welcome the visit of the All Blacks. Not only will the games against Ireland at Lansdowne Road on December 7 and against Ulster give zest to the first half of the season, which usually is rather lacking in interest, but they will provide the best possible trials for the international tournament (a correspondent wrote recently to an English paper). We had last season a very striking example of the shortcomings of our trial system, when it was found necessary to make costly experiments in the game against England. One change affecting two positions behind the scrum made all the difference in the two subsequent games, and Ireland finished up by winning the international championship for the first time since 1899.

This season the selectors look like being in the fortunate position of having an almost ready-made team, and in any, event they are not likely to fall into the same mistake as last season, but the game against the New Zealanders should be of considerable assistance to them and give the side more confidence for the game against England, which , this season is at Lansdowne Road.

From§y s 4Hif =R =taust not be inferred thajftnegame with the All Blacks, is likely to be regarded as merely a preliminary to the international campaign later on. The gamfe will be taken all the more^^gerioygty because we are optimismc enough to regard Ireland's chance| of going through the season unbeaten as quite within the bounds of possibility.

To defeat the tourists in addition to the home countries would set the seal on Ireland's Rugby fame. Incidentally it may be mentioned that we have yet to gain a win over an overseas touring team. lam not running away with the impression that the Irish side last year was a superlatively good one, but it was a comparatively young team of decided possibilities, and I think we have three or four players who can be drafted in to strengthen it.

Against touring teams since the war we have done quite well. The All Blacks in 1924 only beat us by. a penalty goal and a try to nil; in 1927 the "Waratahs" snatched'•a win by a goal to a penalty goal, and the South Africans in 1931 succeeded by only 8 points to 3.

In 1924 we had to tackle the All Blacks as early as November 1 with an untried team, and it will be a decided advantage to have more than a month longer to prepare for them, this time.