Ireland braced for tough Puma test

IRELAND’S young guns will once again face a test of their physical credentials as they lock horns with Argentina in their opening Pool A encounter at the Junior World Championship in Nagoya, Japan tomorrow (9am, Irish time).

Allen Clarke’s Ireland U20 side claimed a second-place finish in the Six Nations despite often yielding bulk to their opposition in the physicality stakes.

Last year’s vintage struggled in that department against the Argentinians at this tournament in Wales last year, going down 17-9.

That defeat preceded a hammering by New Zealand before the Irish bounced back to defeat Tonga, Italy and the Scots.

This year’s skipper Peter O’Mahony knows the challenges that lie ahead in a pool that again contains the Kiwis, along with and Uruguay, but the Cork Con back-rower says their focus is on the here and now.

“We’ve drawn a very physical group but as Allen Clarke has said, we’re not looking past Argentina at the moment,” said O’Mahony.

“I’ve seen some of their stuff from last year. They’re a very physical side, they’ve a big pack and are well able to throw the ball about.

“They’re going to be a very tough team to beat. I know the lads struggled last year against them and I can’t see it being much different this time around. But we’re quietly confident.”

The Irish will also have to deal with temperatures soaring into the 30s and high humidity, but Clarke feels the attributes that stood to them in the Six Nations will continue to do so nonetheless.

“Our success in the Six Nations was built on an ethic of hard work, good attitude and a tremendous spirit within the team,” she said.

“We won a lot of close games, three stand out, and that in itself tells you when you come out the other end that you’ve got something special to work with.”

Meanwhile, the International Rugby Board has announced a new format for the IRB Junior World Championship from 2010 onwards, with the number of participating teams being reduced from 16 to 12.

This restructure, approved by the IRB Council, means that the top 12 teams at this year’s championship in Japan will automatically qualify for the 2010 tournament in Argentina.

The bottom four will participate in regional qualifying structures for the second-tier IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2010.

* Suttonians RFC have announced the appointment of Heineken Cup-winning Leinster prop Stan Wright as their new forwards coach for the 2009/10 season.