Cian O’Connor: Irish can win in Rotterdam

Show jumping team affairs get serious for Ireland from this weekend.

There are no more ‘friendlies’ on the horizon for manager Rodrigo Pessoa, as Friday’s Dutch Nations Cup in Rotterdam looms, to be followed by three more qualifiers, the last of which will be at Dublin Horse Show in August.

By then, Ireland will have completed their six competitive Europe Division 1 league outings. Of the two they have contested so far, the Irish have had a third-place finish in the French Nations Cup at La Baule and a joint-third placing at the Italian equivalent in Rome. Pretty good going considering that the Irish manager, in his first season at the helm, has not yet had all his aces in place.