Ireland given painful send-off

AS if the physical pain of this final World Cup warm-up were not enough to bear for Ireland’s squad heading to New Zealand tomorrow, the mental anguish of a thorough going over by England threatens to be even more damaging.

Declan Kidney’s squad suffered its fourth pre-season Test defeat in succession at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, losing veteran Munster flanker and three-time Lion David Wallace in the process to a knee ligament injury while a damaged eye socket has placed loosehead prop and Ireland linchpin Cian Healy in doubt for the Pool C opener against the USA in New Plymouth on Sunday, September 11.

On top of that, Jamie Heaslip added to Irish back-row woes by taking a bang to the head while hooker Jerry Flannery also got a knock on the shin in a physically demanding encounter that saw the English exact revenge for their Grand Slam-spoiling defeat in Dublin last March.