Rugby League: Cummins poised for international hat-trick
Francis Cummins, who has already represented England and Great Britain, will tonight complete a remarkable hat-trick when he makes his debut for Ireland.
The 24-year-old Leeds Rhinos winger or full-back, who will be one of a host of new faces in a depleted Ireland team to play France in Albi, qualifies through his Irish grandfather.
He was ruled ineligible to play for Ireland in last year’s World Cup and was selected in John Kear’s England squad, only to be forced out with a back injury.
The Irish eventually succeeded in their appeal and Cummins, who has relatives in Ireland and hails from an Irish background with the Dewsbury Celtic amateur club, can now see the irony of his England withdrawal.
‘‘It was a difficult one at the time,’’ he said. ‘‘I was in a position where I couldn’t say out loud that I didn’t want to play for England because I was desperate to play in the World Cup and I didn’t want to end up not being able to play for either one.
‘‘The good thing about the back injury was that I was able to have a rest because I was in a bad way. I had lost some size on one of the discs and it was causing some rubbing.
‘‘It was half the size it should be and it was causing a bit of friction. It re-generates itself with rest.
‘‘I had a good few months of not really doing much. It was not until the first few rounds of the Challenge Cup that I was getting to 100%.
‘‘I still feel a bit in my back but I suppose every player does.’’
Cummins, who played for England as an 18-year-old against France as far back as 1995, has made a successful switch from wing to full-back with his club but will appear at centre in a makeshift Ireland side decimated by withdrawals.
The notable absentees include World Cup captain Terry O’Connor (Wigan), vice-captain Chris Joynt (St Helens) and Cork-born winger Brian Carney (Wigan).
And, although Ireland are still able to boast 10 Super League players, joint coaches Steve O’Neill and Andy Kelly have been forced to trawl through their shadow squad, with Northern Ford Premiership duo Scott Dyson (Gateshead) and Paul Darley (Featherstone) set to win their first caps.
Beaten quarter-finalists in last year’s World Cup, the Irish have yet to taste victory over France. They drew 30-30 in Paris in 1997 and lost 24-22 in Dublin a year later.
Ireland: D Munro (Widnes); M Forster (Widnes), R Smith (Wakefield), F Cummins (Leeds), R Smyth (Warrington); L Bretherton (Leigh), G Clinch (Halifax); B McDermott (Leeds, capt), J Lawless (Halifax), N Harmon (Salford), S McMenemy (Halifax), D Bradbury (Leigh), T Jonkers (St Helens). Subs: M Slicker (Huddersfield), G Gordon (London Skolars), S Dyson (Gateshead), P Darley (Featherstone).
France: R Guigue (Avignon); P Noguera (Pia), A Dulac (St Gaudens), S Houles (UTC), M Van Snick (Villeneuve); L Frayssinous (Villeneuve), F Devecchi (Toulouse, capt); R Gagliazzo (Villeneuve), V Wulf (Villeneuve), J Guisset (Warrington), G Tallec (UTC), J Vincent (Toulouse), L Carrasco (Villeneuve). Subs: A Shead (Villeneuve), P Jampy (UTC), F Teixido (Limoux), G Cornut (Villeneuve).
