World Cup: Great group for the Irish

The Republic of Ireland have been handed a wonderful opportunity to repeat their 1990 and 1994 World Cup exploits by again emerging from their opening group in next year’s finals in Japan and Korea.

And the draw in Busan which bracketed Mick McCarthy’s squad with Germany, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon in Group E also opened up the possibility of a mouth-watering pre-tournament friendly against Argentina, who are among England’s opponents in a section already and inevitably being tagged the ‘‘Group of Death.’’