Hurlers help provide home comforts

The world must seem like one giant melting pot at times to Joe Schmidt as he monitors events simultaneously in several continents, but even he must have found it incongruous this week to find a native Argentinian teaching him how to play hurling.

Hurling has a long and wonderful history in Argentina and the decision by the Ireland squad to stage their first full training session of the tour at the Buenos Aires Hurling Club ahead of Saturday’s opening clash with the Pumas was a special day for the club, with hundreds turning out to greet the squad and the Irish players and management equally generous with their time throughout the event.

Hurling is no longer played competitively in Buenos Aires but it lives on with weekly training sessions and matches amongst themselves. Last year they put a team together and travelled to Galway for the international hurling festival which was organised for The Gathering.