Lomu gets through the paperwork as world greats arrive

The car park at Merrion Road, home to Wanderers RFC was full but there was little activity, that is until the coach carrying the Barbarians squad for Sunday's game against Ireland at Lansdowne Road (1.15) came into view. Young and old scurried forward, eyes scanning the coach for a glimpse of a player whom everyone wanted to meet.

When Jonah Lomu descended, so too did the throng of school children to the front of the coach, pens poised; scraps of paper, rugby balls and jerseys were thrust forward to be signed. Lomu worked his way through the paperwork while some of the great players of world rugby filed past unmolested.

While the gargantuan All Black wing eventually found the sanctuary of the dressingroom, most of his new team-mates returned in playing gear and only then did they become the focus of attention for the knot of school boys and girls. Lomu's first assignment was a pitch side interview before rejoining his team-mates for a training session under the guidance of former Australian coach Bob Dwyer.

The squad split into backs and forwards with the former heading for the end of the pitch farthermost from the dressingrooms: the majority of those watching trooped off in pursuit. There was a casual, good-humoured air to the proceedings as the players tried to put some structure to a game plan. Their arrival from London had been delayed by over an hour; the plane forced to circle Dublin Airport. The airlift of Munster obviously took precedence.

Seventy-five minutes coincided with the arrival of rain bringing an end to the session. Lomu would now be paraded before the media. The first question directed to him centred on the 1995 World Cup in South Africa and his performance against Ireland, a day when he exploded into the consciousness of world rugby.

So what of Ireland? "They're a great side that play with a lot of passion, of pride. We'll just have to meet them face to face out there." Lomu then spoke of what playing for the Barbarians meant to him. "Playing with players from different countries is a bit of a laugh, certainly a change. You're normally looking to hammer each other.

"The good thing about it is that a lot of the guys know each other very well and can slot in around each other. Friendships are made and it's important that after you play hard against each other you can leave that on the pitch and walk down the road and have a few Guinness's or whatever. It's just a great honour to play for the Barbarians."

Lomu's only match for the Barbarians will be the game against Ireland before he is recalled by the New Zealand RFU to prepare for upcoming Test matches and the Bledisloe Cup series. There was the small matter of announcing the Barbarians side for Sunday's game at Lansdowne Road and it includes several faces well known to Irish rugby including South Africans Stefan Terblanche, Pieter Muller and James Dalton, Argentinian scrumhalf Agustin Pichot and captain Ian Jones who played for part of a season with Old Crescent in Limerick.

Mention of which quickly steered the conversation around to Munster, the province receiving glowing praise from both coach Bob Dwyer and Jones. Dwyer was recalling the game in 1992 when Munster beat Australia in Musgrave, when Jones interjected, stating that he was there. Dwyer laughed: "so you were one of the bastards cheering for Munster," to which the former All Black replied: "oooooooh, yeah, I was."

Dwyer paid tribute to Ireland's Six Nations Championship form post-England and when asked about the qualities of centre Brian O'Driscoll offered: "He's obviously an exceptional player. He has that talent to sniff half an opportunity and be across the line before you know it. There is no doubt about it, O'Driscoll is an exceptional talent."

He added: "There is some great talent there (in the Irish team), the young halves and Malcolm O'Kelly. He's a forward of great talent. He's a phenomenal athlete for a big man. There have been some great strides made."

And with that Lomu, Dwyer and Mickey Steele Bodger, president of the Barbarians were whisked to a waiting car. Jonah got the front seat.

Barbarians: S Terblanche (South Africa); K Logan (Scotland), P Muller (South Africa), W Little (New Zealand), J Lomu (New Zealand); H le Roux (South Africa), A Pichot (Argentina); K Yates (England), J Dalton (South Africa), C Dowd (New Zealand); I Jones (New Zealand, capt), G Morgan (Australia); C Charvis (Wales), D Lyle (USA), K Jones (Wales). Replacements: R Howley (Wales), N Jenkins (Wales), M Perry (England), R Kruger (South Africa), R Brooke (New Zealand), J Leonard (England), R Cockerill (England).