Determined Irish aim to give Croker big send-off

Published on Thursday 18 March 2010 22:09

AS IF the Triple Crown and a possible Six Nations championship title are not enough motivation already, Scotland will tomorrow face an Ireland team determined to ensure that their last game at Croke Park has a fitting result.

• Alastair Kellock has urged his team-mates to put any sense of occasion out of their minds. Picture: Getty

The past decade has been hailed as the golden era in Irish rugby with Heineken Cups, four Triple Crowns and last year's RBS Six Nations Championship also ending a 61-year wait for a second Grand Slam. The temporary shift to the 82,500-capacity Croke Park, the home of Gaelic sport for over 100 years, while Lansdowne Road was refurbished, was perfectly timed as it enabled an extra 30,000 supporters to pack into the stands as the lid blew off the Irish game.

Defeat in Paris last month has left Brian O'Driscoll's team needing a win tomorrow and England to beat the French in Paris in the later match, and the Irish to claw back a 50-point deficit on free-scoring France in the points differential. Still, a Triple Crown chance and a final goodbye to 'Croker' after four good years – they return to Lansdowne Road, renamed the Aviva Stadium, next season – is plenty to ensure an emotional evening in Dublin.

Scotland turn up looking for their first win on Irish soil in 12 years if they are to avoid the ignominy of a third wooden spoon in seven years.

With so much at stake, Scotland may well have caught the Irish at a bad time, and Irish winger Tommy Bowe believes the raucous Croke Park atmosphere will work in Ireland's favour one last time.

He said: "When we first moved to Croke Park people probably thought that we wouldn't be able to sell it out as many times as we have, but it's gone into the households now and that's played a big part of the rise in interest in rugby. We've been able to deliver which has been special for us too.

"It's been good for us and we'll definitely be sad to see it go, so we want to finish with a bang this weekend."

The Scots remain unfazed. Nick De Luca, the Scotland centre with the challenge of marking O'Driscoll on the occasion of the Irishman's 101st cap, said: "They'll be motivated, without doubt, let alone it being the last game at Croke Park, so it's going to be tough, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Lock forward Alastair Kellock agreed with his team-mates. "It's a fantastic place to play," he said. "But we're not over to take part in any ceremonies, whether it's the Triple Crown or the last game at Croke Park. We need to focus purely on ourselves."

Ireland maintain injured centre Gordon D'Arcy is still in line to play, although he will have a further fitness test today. Likewise, Scotland still have Kelly Brown in the starting line-up, after the SRU said the flanker required further contact tests to prove his fitness after suffering concussion.