A victory would lay the ghosts to rest

THE IRISH team lining out against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday will be one of the most experienced in recent memory.

Not that it's a particularly old side just four, Reggie Corrigan, Gary Longwell and Victor Costello, all 32, and Shane Byrne, 31, are into their fourth decade but the amount of international rugby they have all played demonstrates that these guys have been around the block many times before.

Given their relatively short number of years in the Irish jersey, it is a little surprising to discover that people like Peter Stringer (28 caps), Girvan Dempsey (31), Brian O'Driscoll (33), John Hayes (29) and Malcolm O'Kelly (46) should have accumulated so many caps. The player least honoured in this respect is Keith Gleeson, the Dublin-born Aussie, and even he has played nine times for Ireland since making his debut as a reserve against Wales in Dublin only last March.