A chance to stake a claim

FOR a moment there yesterday, it seemed that not only had Richard Dunne made a miraculous recovery from injury but the big defender had been reborn as a tricky winger.

“Dunne? Did I say Dunne? I meant Duff,” said Giovanni Trapattoni, after he’d got his soundalike Irish surnames mixed up when revealing his starting line-up for tonight’s friendly game against Norway.

As it is, the team is almost wildly experimental at least by the Italian’s conservative standards, injuries forcing him into a novel shuffle of personnel although — wouldn’t you just know it? — he has still managed to resist the temptation to hand out any brand-new caps at kick-off.