Irish take their time in Kazakhstan

As the Irish squad settle in to their base in Astana, following an eight-hour journey which saw them arrive in the capital of Kazakhstan after midnight, Giovanni Trapattoni has revealed they will be turning back the clock for the duration of their stay here, in this massive country which has one foot in Europe and the other in Asia.

“Yes, we stick with Irish time,” the manager confirmed, meaning that, as much as possible, the squad will adhere to eating and sleeping times which are five hours behind the actual clock in Kazakhstan.

In effect, it means the Irish players will eat their breakfast between 1pm and 3pm, local time.