O’Shea: No Irish reunion for Ian
ITALY coach Conor O’Shea had to stop himself from picking Ian McKinley to face Ireland purely to create a “romantic story”.
Dublin-born fly-half McKinley was forced to retire in 2011 after being blinded in one eye, only to relaunch his career in Italy three years later thanks to the aid of specially designed protective goggles.
The 28-year-old former Leinster playmaker has gone on to represent Italy by way of residency.
Former Ireland full-back O’Shea conceded he would have loved to throw in McKinley to face his Irish compatriots in tomorrow’s Six Nations clash in Dublin but felt compelled to keep faith with Tommaso Allan and Carlo Canna.
“He was disappointed because he wants to play,” said O’Shea. “I knew it would mean a lot to him. But Ian’s a rugby player, he’s not a romantic story. Ian wants to be picked because he is the No1 rugby player and has the right to be in this team at the time, not because he’s a story.
“Sport is full of romance but the hard-nosed side of it is that Tommy Allan had the jersey last weekend and was outstanding, and Carlo Canna is one of the top points scorers in Pro14 rugby and an exciting talent.
“I’d love to have picked Ian, but how could you say to the other players, ‘You’re not picked because I want to pick Ian on romance’.”
Uncapped Leinster back Jordan Larmour will be on the bench for Ireland and coach Joe Schmidt is confident the 20-year-old is ready for his debut.
“I expect Jordan to provide what he has been providing in the provincial matches, that raw acceleration and the ability to beat players,” he said.