Irish enjoy Baa-Baa stroll

Stand-in skipper Shane Horgan led Ireland to a confidence-boosting 39-14 success over Barbarians at Kingsholm.

With regular captain Brian O'Driscoll returning to Dublin after the death of a friend, winger Horgan led the Irish in Gloucester - and did so from the front with two of his side's five tries.

It is not known whether O'Driscoll will travel with the squad as they fly out to New Zealand on Friday night for their Tests against the All Blacks on June 7 and Australia a week later in Melbourne.

Caretaker coach Michael Bradley saw his side, who will be led by Munster's Heineken Cup-winning coach Declan Kidney after the tour Down Under, head off for their trip in good style.

Along with Horgan's two tries, second-rower Jamie Heaslip touched down twice and winger Tommy Bowe once, while Paddy Wallace kicked 14 points as the Irish outclassed the Barbarians from start to finish.

Bowe strikes early

Ireland had 12 of their squad for New Zealand starting at Kingsholm, and they made their mark after just five minutes when winger Bowe flew in on the angle.

The Barbarians side included the likes of Stephen Larkham, Lesley Vainikolo and Michael Claassens but soon found themselves swamped under sustained early pressure from the Irish.

After a Wallace penalty, two more quick tries in four minutes already had the game over as a contest - with Horgan firstly getting on the end of a slick move for his first try.

Horgan's second soon followed after an interception from Rob Kearney led to an 80-metre counter-attack in the Baa-Baas' own free-flowing style of rugby.

Wallace's conversion capped an awesome opening 25 minutes from Ireland and already the Baa-Baas where well and truly on the back foot.

Injury

Flanker Craig Newby will join Guinness Premiership finalists Leicester from Otago later this summer, and despite his try before half time Tigers fans will be worried as he was carried off and taken to hospital after being injured crossing the line.

Down 24-7 at half-time, the Baa-Baas got a lift when Ireland scrum-half Isaac Boss was sin-binned for obstruction five minutes after the break.

Ireland responded though by adding a fourth try when Heaslip went over following good work from Malcolm O'Kelly, and the boot of Wallace made it 34-7, before Heaslip added a fifth.

Ireland flanker Neil Best and Baa-Baas prop Cobus Visagie came to blows, resulting in a bloodied and bruised Visagie leaving the field, but the Baa-Baas had the last word with Pedrie Wannenburg going over.