Denis Leamy issues warning to Ireland squad before telling them to ignore Lions distractions ahead of Georgia test
With 15 players and a raft of coaches away with
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Assistant coach Denis Leamy issued a warning to the young Ireland side ahead of their two tour clashed vs Georgia and Portugal
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Leamy also told the Ireland squad to avoid Lions distractions
There are 13 uncapped players in the squad of 33 which will take on Georgia on Saturday before facing Portugal in Lisbon a week later.
Although Craig Casey was overlooked by Andy Farrell when Tomos Williams was ruled out of the
And Leamy said: 'I lean on my own experience a little bit with that, being on tours in 2009 when you're on standby for the Lions.
'And it is a challenge, but you have to keep your mind on the job that's in front of you and you have to be very conscious of being as good as you can be in that space.
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'Obviously, you're watching what's going on in Australia if there's an injury or an opportunity coming.
'But the boys will be very good around that. Their focus will be Ireland and whatever happens after that will happen.'
Ulster prop Scott Wilson has been added to the squad with Leamy believing there is a real opportunity for some players such as Gavin Coombes - who might be frustrated by their international progress to date - to advance their claims.
Leamy said: 'He's turned up, he's looking fit, he's looking hungry the last few days. I think he's applied himself really well, he's been really good in training.
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'Gavin has been in and out of Irish squads over the last couple of years. The times he's been left out, he's understood the reasons why and they have been very fair.
'Gavin has gone away and worked hard on those parts of the games. Hopefully, if selected, he can go and apply that and put his best foot forward.
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'He's worked great between 22 and 22. His ability to make yards in open play, his ability to clock up big numbers in his tackles, his rucks and the fundamentals around his basic play and as a no 8 around the base of the scrum.
'He's learning and improving that all the time. That's why he's back in this environment.'
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Extra.ie
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But a two-on-two was beaten on the edge when Fin Smith was drawn in for Leota's pass to send Darby Lancaster clear and he bounced up from Hugo Keenan's strong hit but incomplete tackle to finish well. All that said and done, on video review somehow referee Paul Williams deemed that Fergus Lee-Warner made a legitimate attempt at a clean-out on Hansen and thus not guilty of foul play when it looked a dangerous hit to the head with a tucked arm, and from the side at that. In any event, on the resumption Tadhg Beirne was pinged for pursuing a Mitchell box kick from an offside position and from the ensuing penalty to the corner and catch-and-drive, Ethan Dobbins plunged over. Only two conversions now separated the sides on the scoreline. The Lions turned to their bench, with five replacements up front and Duhan van der Merwe, a late call-up after Scott Cummings had replaced the withdrawn Henry Pollock, and this had a swift if short-lived impact. After a good break by Mitchell, van der Flier worked hard to work around Blair Kinghorn but was denied a try by the fine corner flagging tackle of loosehead Tom Lambert. Despite the PA announcer doing his best to encourage the home crowd among the 40,568 crowd – 'Okay Tahs fans, this defence has been resolute ... on your feet' – yet another scrum penalty was also the source of their Lions' tours. Working off the ensuing maul, Mitchell first dummied to the openside, then swivelled to the blindside and with his Northampton and England halfback partner Fin Smith working around outside him, the scrumhalf dummied again to score untouched. But that was as good as it got, the Lions' breakdown issues continuing as Gamble won another turnover penalty from a Beirne carry as Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tadhg Furlong failed to effect the clearout. Whereas Farrell jnr could afford to smile at the cameras early into the evening, not so his father and Lions head coach, who had a face like thunder five minutes from the end before Ellis Genge's finish following a close-range lineout drive was overruled initially for obstruction by Earl. That hardly improved his mood, and nor did Marcus Smith kicking a penalty to touched over the end-goal line. Scoring sequence: 12 mins Jones try, F Smith con 0-7; 33 mins Jones try, F Smith con 0-14; 35 mins Lancaster try 5-14; (half-time 5-14); 42 mins Dobbins try 10-14; 55 mins Mitchell try, F Smith con 10-21. Waratahs: Lawson Creighton; Andrew Kellaway, Lalakai Foketi, Joey Walton, Darby Lancaster; Jack Bowen, Teddy Wilson; Tom Lambert, Ethan Dobbins, Taniela Tupou, Fergus Lee-Warner, Miles Amatosero, Rob Leota, Charlie Gamble, Hugh Sinclair (capt). Replacements: Mahe Vailanu for Dobbins (50 mins), Henry O'Donnell for Foketi (51 mins), Matt Philip for Amatosero (52-63 mins), Daniel Botha for Tupou, Tane Edmed for Bowen (both 56 mins), Jamie Adamson for Sinclair (61 mins), Amatosero for Lee-Warner (63 mins), Jack Grant for Wilson, Jack Barrett for Lambert (both 71 mins). British & Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan (Ireland); Mack Hansen (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland); Fin Smith (England), Alex Mitchell (England); Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Finlay Bealham (Ireland); Scott Cummings (Scotland), James Ryan (Ireland); Tadhg Beirne (Ireland, capt), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Ben Earl (England). Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Ireland) for Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge (England) for Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong (Ireland) for Bealham, Joe McCarthy (Ireland) for Ryan, Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland) for Keenan (all 51 mins), Marcus Smith (England) for F Smith (60), Jac Morgan (Wales) for van der Flier (61 mins), Ben White (Scotland) for Mitchell (71 mins). Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand).
