McNaughton: Leamy Is Fighting Fit

Ireland have no late injury worries to contend with ahead of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations title decider against Wales. The players, management and team officials flew out from Dublin to Cardiff this evening.

Denis Leamy is fit to take his place on the Ireland bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

The Munster back rower, who injured his shoulder against Scotland last weekend, sat out Tuesday’s training session but he was back out on the pitch for today’s squad run-out.

“He trained today, yeah, and is fully fit and ready to go,” team manager Paul McNaughton confirmed at a press conference at the team hotel in Dublin.

Much of the press conference centred on comments made by Wales coach Warren Gatland who said, earlier in the week, that ‘the Irish players are the ones the Welsh dislike the most.’

McNaughton said: “There seems to be a lot of stuff coming out of Wales. I’ve read some of it. I don’t have any response to it really.

“The only thing I can say about the Irish and the Welsh is that the Irish players certainly respect the Welsh players, but I can’t really comment on his portrayal of the Welsh not liking the Irish.”

Gatland also attempted to stoke the fires by making the false claim that the Irish players ‘were an hour-and-a-half in the changing room celebrating and singing’ after the Scotland game last weekend.

McNaughton retorted: “It was completely wrong and nonsense. There wasn’t a note sung in the dressing room. Most of them can’t sing anyway!

“There wasn’t a note sung and they (the players) were in reflective mood after the match and they were starting to think about the next match but there was no celebrations and no singing – it was all a load of nonsense (what was said).

“They might see it as mind games but we aren’t taking any of this stuff seriously and I’m not being flippant here. Any of that stuff really isn’t worthy of a response.

“I suspect they are looking for a reaction and trying to ramp up the pressure. But honestly it’s having no effect on our preparations. The players are just concentrating on the game.”