Ready, set, Instagram!
The Ireland team are jetting off to Chicago this evening and just before take-off there was a mass spate of social media activity, with the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Simon Zebo and Conor Murray sharing snaps of the on-board craic before flicking to ‘flight mode’.
Touching down in the Windy City late Monday night, Joe Schmidt’s men will get down to the serious work of preparing for the first of four November internationals.
The international window kicks off with a bang in Soldier Field on Saturday – an historic Test on American soil against the back-to-back World Cup winning All Blacks.
First cap beckons for Carbery? https://t.co/QaNkIuZjHs
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 31, 2016
Staying in a hotel owned by Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, the team will train at the University of Illinois ahead of the team being named on Thursday.
Before that they have a nine-hour flight to the American midwest to contend with. No 8 Jamie Heaslip will entertain himself with American chef Anthony Bourdain’s account of life in the New York culinary scene, ‘Kitchen Confidential’, while Sean Cronin appears to be playing with fellow front-rower Jack McGrath’s inhaler mask.
A relaxed looking Joey Carbery may while away the time contemplating the possibility of making his Test debut from the bench against a team chasing a record 19th straight win…
Pass the oxygen mask.
Specifically for keeping out Tighthead odours @tadhgfurlong
Chicago Bound…. pic.twitter.com/Zkuc5E6jHp— Sean Cronin (@SeanCronin2) October 31, 2016
Ready to fly, 2 pinners Chicago bound! @irishrugby #teamofus
A photo posted by Cian Healy (@properchurch) on
A few excited fellas ready for ?? #homeadvantage @aerlingus
A photo posted by Conor Murray (@conormurray9) on
? ✈️ #HomeAdvantage @aerlingus
A photo posted by Rob Kearney (@robkearney) on