Russian winter the least of O’Neill’s worries

MICHAEL O’NEILL fears Shamrock Rovers will face their biggest trial yet against classy Rubin Kazan here in the depths of freezing Tatarstan tonight.

Rovers have prepared as well as possible, taking the sting out of the 2,175-mile journey — across four time zones — by chartering a large jet to bring them, along with more than 100 supporters, directly to Kazan on a flight of just under five hours yesterday afternoon.

But that’s about as good as it may get for the Hoops, who haven’t played competitively since losing 3-1 at home to PAOK Salonika on November 3, a result that sees them remain pointless and bottom of Group A.