Premiership Stars Impressed at Swords

BEING located next to Dublin Airport, Swords Rugby Club is used to international arrivals, but there were four of a very different nature in tow at ALSAA last week.

London Irish stars Nick Kennedy, Steffon and Delon Armitage and Seilala Mapusua all dropped into one of the Fingal club's pre-season training sessions last Thursday night. The Guinness Premiership outfit are sponsored by Swords-based airline, CityJet, and the surprise visit was organised by CEO, Geoffrey O'Byrne White.

Indeed, Swords was the only club the Irish players visited, as part of their own pre-season preparations, which included a friendly against Leinster, whose scrumhalf, Chris Keane, is the Greens first team coach this season. Keane was an unused sub as the Heineken Cup holders went down to a 24-8 defeat, in front of a huge crowd at Donnybrook the next night.

It was vindication of some sort for internationals Kennedy and Delon Armitage, who had last lined out on Irish soil during England's 14-13 defeat at Croke Park earlier this year. Steffon Armitage was also capped for England during the Six Nations campaign, while Samoan centre Mapusua was one of the stars of last season's Premiership and all four were highly impressed with the facilities on offer at the club.Swords will kick-off their new season with a friendly away to Ashbourne on Friday week, with other fixtures against Garda and Barnhall to follow. Irish, meanwhile, will return to Dublin 4 in October for the first round of the Heineken Cup.