“Sore neck” leaves Wood a half-chance

THERE were plenty who believed making a weekend round trip to eastern Siberia was a pain in the neck, but Ireland skipper Keith Wood took the sentiment literally.

An Irish win in their World Cup qualifier with Russia was the reward for enduring a marathon jaunt last weekend. The price, however, the absence of the captain due to a neck problem picked up en route from Krasnoyarsk.

With victory almost certainly assured in the second and final World Cup qualifier against Georgia at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, Wood’s absence would not be catastrophic. Rare, though, would be the coach who would not gladly include the talismanic hooker if fully fit and at his disposal.