Ayerza: with respect, I hope Irish play poorly

RESPECT and confidence are the two key ingredients as Argentina seek to qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup against Ireland in Paris on Sunday.

Marcos Ayerza may be a young gun at 24, but he does respect the opposition, not least Ireland’s giant prop John Hayes. The sting in the tail is that he’s also a very confident young man.

“I’m afraid of nobody,” he declared yesterday, hastily adding: “But I’m afraid of everybody.