We're still in the hunt

HE might have 17 caps but Stephen Hunt is starting only his fourth full competitive game for Ireland tonight and, it’s safe to say, he has both a hard act to follow and a big point to prove.

No-one expects the Reading wideman to step into the irreplaceable Damien Duff’s boots and make them feel like they’re his own.

But in terms of the different qualities Hunt can bring to the international scene, he has yet to show that he can sustain his sometimes explosive energy off the bench across the full 90 minutes.