Flannery, who missed Saturday’s 38-point drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks due to a calf muscle injury, has joined up with the Irish squad ahead of Friday morning’s daunting clash with the Maoris at Rotorua (8.35am Irish time).
Munster star Flannery is hoping to be involved in Ireland’s final game of their summer tour, a difficult assignment against Australia on Saturday week in Brisbane.
While Flannery’s involvement in the end-of-seasn tour is beginning, Jamie Heaslip’s is over after the number eight was handed a five-week ban for striking with the knee during the course of Saturday’s 66-28 defeat to the All Blacks.
Heaslip was sent off 15 minutes into yesterday’s 66-28 loss to New Zealand in New Plymouth for twice kneeing All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at a ruck.
Any hopes of an Irish victory in their 23rd test evaporated after Heaslip’s rush of blood.
The game effectively ended as a contest nine minutes later when Irish flyhalf Ronan O’Gara was sin-binned for a late tackle.
The home side scored three converted tries in the ten minutes Ireland were down to 13 men.
Thirty-one-year-old Flannery said it was vital that Declan Kidney’s side hit the training ground hard in Rotorua this week as Ireland bid to bounce back from a demoralising defeat.
“If we turn around and get a really good result against the Maoris and another good result against Australia, then this game won’t have the same effect on morale,” Flannery wrote in his column for the Joe.ie website.
“It’s only if you’re consistently losing that this kind of stuff begins to really effect you, so it will be hard to take if we lose all three games.
“It’s a fine line with things like confidence and morale. It’s your job to be positive each time you go into a game but it does start to wear on you if things aren’t going well, like happened for a while before Deccie took over. Back then, we went from being a long way off the pace results-wise to winning a Grand Slam in a short space of time.
“Small things can make a big difference. That’s why we have to hope that we can take something out of the next two games and then start getting ready for next season.”
Jerry Flannery said he would need to be 100 per cent ready if he is to win his 37th cap in the Test match with the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday, June 26.
Flannery wrote: “I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to play in the Australia game, but it’s very much a case of day by day with me because of the history of the injury.
“I need to get it 100 per cent right because whenever I go out at 90 or 95 per cent, it’s gone on me.
“Out here, the rehab is very intense so I’m getting an awful lot done - two sessions a day.
“The next few days will give me a good indication of how it’s going. Every day it’s getting a bit better.”
Meanwhile Ireland under-20 captain Rhys Ruddock has been called up to join the Ireland touring squad in Rotorua.
Ruddock gets his opportunity following the broken arm suffered by John Muldoon and Heaslip’s suspension.
Munster second row Mick O’Driscoll suffered a back spasm which forced him to leave the field during the first half of the game with the All Blacks. The injury has improved and he will continue to receive treatment over the next 48 hours.
Wing Shane Horgan has also recovered from his stomach complaint that prevented him leaving with the balance of the squad from Ireland and has arrived in Rotorua.
COLM KINSELLA
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