Rovers look to carry on Europa fairytale

Shamrock Rovers are the Republic of Irelands most successful club but on Thursday they enter uncharted waters for Irish clubs when they host Russian side Rubin Kazan in the opening matches of the Europa League group stages.Rovers - winners of a record 16 national titles and 24 FAI Cups - have really been thrown into the deep end as aside from Rubin they also have English side Tottenham and Greek outfit PAOK Salonika in Group A.However, Rubin should hold no fears for the Irish side after they gained an unexpected but deserved win over Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade in the qualifying round last month.Rovers, the first ever Irish side to make it into the group stages of a European competition, warmed up for Thursdays sellout clash with a 1-1 draw in a league match against St Patricks Athletic on Monday.Manager Michael ONeill acknowledges that the level will be substantially higher than the fare served up against St Pats.Thursday is a totally different challenge against a top team but weve got ourselves into this position and well try to deal with it and do our best, ONeill, who was capped 33 times by Northern Ireland, told herald.ie.The players have had no information on Kazan so far, theyll get their first taste of it today. Well watch some videos of them and then look at how we will shape up against them.Its a case of trying to get as much information across to the players without overloading them. Its going into the unknown slightly.ONeill, whose only previous managerial experience was with Scottish side Brechin City, added that taking on a side packed with internationals was a daunting one given that his team have just the one - Jamaican goalkeeper Ryan Thompson who won his sole cap in 2004.Its a massive challenge, were going in against top-class opposition riddled with international players, a big spending club, said the former midfielder, who numbers Dundee United, Hibernian and Newcastle United among his clubsIts a big challenge but its great for us to get the chance.