Jamie Heaslip urges Irish players to ‘enjoy moment’

Jamie Heaslip has challenged his Ireland team to forget the scrap for World Cup places and get on with their jobs when they face Wales at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon (2:30pm).

Countdown commences today in Cardiff with head coach Joe Schmidt needing to reduce his playing personnel from 46 to 31 by the end of the month, leaving his squad members with just three chances to prove their worth in Test match scenarios.

The first of those comes today against Wales with both Schmidt and rival coach Warren Gatland sending out teams full of players eager to grab the opportunity presented. Today’s captain Heaslip, 31, has been in this situation before, missing out on selection in 2007 and then making the plane for New Zealand four years later, but not before seeing fellow back-rower David Wallace suffer a career-ending injury in the final warm-up match in 2011.