Diary – Tuesday 11th June

It’s still quite dark outside when the alarm wakes us at eight o’clock, the streets outside wet from heavy overnight rain. Traffic in the city is light, nothing compared to what you’d see in Dublin or Cork in the morning. Looking across from our sixth floor room, across the harbour, we can see the car lights of commuters heading into work from the Otago Peninsula.

The morning training session is again held in Taieri RFC. It’s a closed session but at around 11.30, the press arrive as scheduled to hear Brian O’Brien announce the Test side. The assembled media include, Brendan Fanning, Peter O’Reilly, Gerry Thornley, Tony Ward, Heather Kidd, Michael Corcoran, photographers Billy Stickland and Matt Browne and local press. O’Brien, flanked by Declan Kidney and Eddie O’Sullivan, announces the side to play on Saturday, and after they’ve answered questions, Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll and Reggie Corrigan are ushered in by Press Officer John Redmond, to face the the music.

There is an afternoon training session, this time in Zingari Richmond ground, and in the evening the squad and management adjourn to The Ale House restaraunt for dinner with plans been made to watch the Ireland v Saudi Arabia game later that night (11.30 pm kick off in Dunedin).