Ireland looking to make their own history in shadow of the Lisbon Lions

Paul O'Connell's touring party take on the hosts at the Estadio Nacional.

TUNNEL VISION: Scrum Coach Colm Tucker and Interim Head Coach Paul O'Connell at the Captain's Run at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

The past holds sway at the Estadio Nacional on the outskirts of Lisbon. The marbled halls of its grand old entrance give way to a three-sided and otherwise old-fashioned bowl that would make for the perfect backdrop were someone to remake Escape to Victory.

The place reeks of history.

Its enormous floodlights stand sentinel from amidst the trees on the surrounding hills. And then there’s the plaque on a wall beside the dressing-rooms that bears witness to the rickety ground’s most memorable of occasions.

Dedicated in 2017, it details the day half a century before when Jock Stein’s Celtic side came from behind against the catenaccio kings of Inter Milan and claimed a first ever European Cup for Britain and wrote themselves into history as the Lisbon Lions.

Craig Casey didn’t need educating on all that history. A keen football fan, he had already taken note of this hallowed ground: just the very act of walking up onto the pitch from the subterranean tunnel was a moment for him to appreciate.

“Looking up into the press box or whatever, it’s a cool mix of historic and then you see the wraparound. Then the running track on one side, it’s completely open. It’s a completely different stadium to anything I’ve ever played in and I think it’s class.” Now all that past gives way to invited expressions of intent for the future.

Paul O’Connell and his travelling party arrived in Lisbon on the back of an impressive win over Georgia in difficult conditions in Tbilisi seven days before, and in the hope that they can wrap up their season in some style against more Tier Two opposition.

Portugal captured hearts with their effervescence at the 2023 World Cup where they drew with Georgia and defeated Fiji. The pickings since, with former Munster coach Simon Mannix replacing Patrice Lagisquet, have been slimmer.

Iffy form and poor results will be reflected in a crowd of just 8,000 or so in a stadium that could hold four-and-a-half times that number come kickoff with plenty of those on site, including families of those involved, liable to be supporting the away team.

For those looking on from home, the images beamed from your TV screens will make this look even less of an event given the main camera, for some reason, has to be positioned in the main stand and thus facing the empty expanse opposite.

This is still a mighty big deal for those involved. Portugal don’t get Six Nations sides in town all that often and for those in the visiting ranks this is another chance to put their hands up for more meaningful involvement when the big guns are back in situ next season.

Interim head coach Paul O’Connell has made five changes to the side that impressed in Georgia. Alex Kendellen, Shayne Bolton and Hugh Gavin all make their debuts, the last of them elevated into the XV after Jamie Osborne’s Lions switch.

Plenty will choose to focus on how Jack Crowley goes at ten after managing just a few minutes off the bench for Sam Prendergast last time out, but everyone will be playing with a view to leap-frogging someone else in their own particular queue.

All told, it’s a youthful and inexperienced lot. Last week’s starting side could put together 165 caps, this week’s is down to just 113 with another 45 on the bench, largely due to the loss through injury of Jacob Stockdale.

“It’s another chance in an Ireland jersey to put your name out there and put your performance down,” said Casey, “and we know for a fact that those coaches coming back in the autumn will be looking at this game.” 

The signs are good. The turf is magnificent, as would be expected for a ground that still plays host every year to Portuguese football’s Cup final, the hosts this time around are weaker, the ball will be drier, and this Ireland has been together for a month now.

The tourists played smartly in the rain seven days ago but will look to unleash a lot more adventure here against a Portuguese side hewn mostly from their domestic league and one that likes to throw the ball about with a bit more abandon than the Georgians.

O’Connell has spoken approvingly about how his lads adapted to those conditions, avoiding the temptation to overplay their hand during that audition, while stressing that there is no-one here who isn’t capable of standing out at this level for their country.

That extends to the handful of players who won’t have appeared on the tour.

“It's not about just giving out caps, certainly,” said O’Connell. “It's about giving guys an opportunity that we think can kick on in the next two-year window and do something for us and compete for places and go back and make their provinces better, which allows them to compete more for places as well.

“It might have been a bit too early for some of the guys, but it's been brilliant for us to have them on the tour with us and for them to train with us and for them to hear the language and see the way they like some of the lads prepare ,and see the way some of them take responsibility for preparing the team. It's great learning for them.” 

A first ever meeting of these two sides, the hope is that it will be remembered in years to come for something a tad more historic: as the day a star or two of the future is born, or at least burned its brightest yet.