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DIEHARD
05-11-07, 03:35 AM
Kelly: Ireland taking World Cup duty seriously

Head coach Andy Kelly says Ireland will leave no stone unturned to ensure his team are competitive at the 2008 World Cup in Australia.

Ireland booked their place at the 10-team tournament by forcing a last-gasp 16-16 draw with Lebanon in Dewsbury to finish top of their qualifying group on points difference.

Ireland will launch their World Cup campaign against Tonga in the opening game of Group C on Monday, October 27, at Parramatta Stadium, which will also be the venue for their game against the winner of the repechage on November 5.

Kelly, who was assistant to Steve O?Neill when Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the last World Cup in 2000, has steered a largely part-time squad to the big table in Australia.

Of the 17 players involved in Friday night?s clash with Lebanon, only captain Stuart Littler, Wigan forwards Eamon O?Carroll and Paul Prescott and Warrington stand-off Chris Bridge were playing in the engage Super League this year.

But Kelly will be able to call on Salford duo Karl Fitzpatrick and Malcolm Alker next year and will scour both Super League and Australia?s National Rugby League for Irish-qualified players.

Nine Australian-born players were in Ireland?s 2000 squad, including Super League-based duo Gavin Clinch and Michael Withers and NRL regulars Luke Ricketson, Kevin Campion and David Barnhill.

?Over the next 12 months we?ll uncover and re-visit some of the players that we?ve had in the past but I?ll also make sure that some of the players who have done a good job for us over the last seven years are rewarded for their efforts and loyalty,? said Kelly.

?We will look at everything of value. There will be no corner-cutting, we?ll make sure the side we have over there is very competitive.?

Kelly believes Ireland?s qualification will provide a shot in the arm for the game in the country, where an emerging domestic competition provided six players for the current squad.

?We spoke prior to the game about how important it was for us to qualify for the World Cup because it?s important for the game to progress,? he said.

?We?ve seen massive strides in Wales with the Celtic Crusaders and I just think, if we can keep pushing the game in Ireland, maybe we will then we can push forward for Super League acceptance.?

Ireland?s other Group C opponents could yet be Lebanon, with whom they have fought out two draws over the last 12 months.

The Lebanese cancelled tomorrow?s return flight to Sydney following their failure to qualify automatically and were today busy re-arranging their plans to take part in the repechage.

With only one full-time player in their squad, team manager Anthony Elias admits it may be a struggle to put out a full-strength team against Wales or Scotland in next Friday?s semi-final eliminator at Widnes.

?It?s a matter of making phone calls to their bosses,? he said. ?We?ve done this on a voluntary basis for nine years now. Last year we had to fork out $2,500 each to make the trip.

?These boys have made big sacrifices and to get beat on a countback is very tough.?

Meanwhile, Lebanon are to protest to this week?s International Federation meeting in Leeds over the refusal of Wests Tigers to release Robbie Farah and Jarrod Saffy for their qualifying campaign.

?With Robbie in that team, Ireland wouldn?t have come near us because of his experience around the ruck,? said Elias.

?We were told he was coming and two days before we were supposed to get our tickets we were told we couldn?t have him. It?s not right.

?The International Federation should really come down hard on the clubs that don?t release players. We?re trying to expand the game and it would have been nice to have those players available.?

http://breakingnews.iol.ie

~lee~
05-11-07, 10:05 AM
Did anyone else watch this game?


It was really enjoyable to see, it was end to end and you really couldnt tell who was going to come out of it the winner. The Irish started really well and looked like they were going to destroy the Lebanese but then they took their foot of the gas and made error after error and Lebanon had a great half hour spell in complete control but didnt look good enough to put on the points. I have to say how dirty Lebanon were as a team, one tackle was like a karate kick. Ireland for me were the better team but if Farah was out there im sure Lebanon would have taken it.

PROMETHEUS
15-11-07, 09:29 PM
That would be fantastic to see an Irish team in the Superleague!:clap: