Moore gets Irish players in tune

The Irish players were treated to a private session with Christy Moore last night to help gear them up for a battle with the auld enemy.

Earlier in the week golfer Shane Lowry took them for a coaching clinic that produced mixed results — one unnamed player had more success breaking clubs than hitting balls — but last night was spent listening to old favourites like Lisdoonvarna and Joxer goes to Stuttgart.

“The players have been talking about it for a few days and there should be a good buzz because the whole squad are invited along,” said team manager Michael Kearney.

“I’m sure Christy will looking for a couple of singers. Damien Varley may get up there and do his impersonation and Kevin McLaughlin is a good singer as well.”

Last week Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary gave the team a pep-talk before the match against Scotland and in the past people like Pádraig Harrington and Marvin Hagler have spoken to them.

“We also had Robbie Kelleher in with them in the first couple of weeks of the Six Nations to speak,” revealed Kearney yesterday.

“He’s a former All-Ireland medal winner with Dublin, a four-time All Star and is head of global research at Davy Stockbrokers. He talked to the players about his own interests and views on the world economy and they all found it very interesting. It’s nice to bring people in to talk to them and do things that are not rugby related.”