Rugby in Cork can be a bit clannish, as John O'Sullivan discovers as he talks to the latest half-back pairing to emerge from the Stringer and O'Gara production line

Two families, eight children, four boys apiece, a wonderfully symmetrical association whose origins encompass the playing fields of Cork Constitution at Temple Hill.

When Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara teamed up for the first time to play underage rugby at the club, few would have envisaged that their playing careers would transcend a club association.

While they did not play on the same team at Presentation Brothers College, Cork, nor at University College, Cork, Peter and Ronan collaborated successfully for Munster and Ireland. Despite their success, they are set to be upstaged at schools level by the latest and youngest incarnation of the Stringer and O'Gara clans, David and Morgan.

In three weeks David Stringer and Morgan O'Gara will take the field for Pres Cork in their opening Munster Schools Senior Cup first round tie.

David is the youngest of the four Stringer brothers: Peter, George and John are his elder siblings. All four played scrumhalf at school, and David follows Peter and John in donning the number nine jersey on the Pres SCT. George probably would have but for a back injury in sixth year. It has forced him to give up the game.

David, now 17, is unfazed by the expectation generated simply by being Peter's brother, although he does acknowledge the additional pressure.

"I know it's there but I just try to concentrate on my own game."

So has he been well schooled in the back garden?

"Peter has been very helpful. I suppose we are similar in our styles, it's something I have concentrated on."

John senior, the boys' father, describes David as "tenacious". Six months younger than Peter was in sixth year in school, he is also smaller.

"He's a very good tackler and works hard," his father, a former flanker with Dolphin, offered. He has never put any pressure on his sons, content to see them happy whatever they wanted to do. It was they who initiated the garden rugby.

David's hopes are suitably modest. "I would like to play professional rugby, but realistically I don't think I'd be as good as Peter."

He first bumped into Morgan O'Gara, also 17, playing for the under eights at Con and the two have shared the same team since. Morgan, like David, is the youngest of the four brothers. The eldest, Colin (he represented Ireland at windsurfing), played in the centre, Ronan and Fergal were outhalves, and Morgan perhaps shows the most versatility given that he can play outhalf, centre or full back.

The presence of the Munster Schools outhalf Barry Keeshan in the Pres SCT means that young O'Gara will line out in the centre. His father, Fergal senior, is "amazed at how things have evolved. I suppose with the boys there was no lack of stimulation in rugby terms, as they all played."

He paid a warm tribute to a school that has developed the boys not only as rugby players but young men.

So, what's Morgan like?

"I suppose he'd be similar to Ronan in appearance. Fergal is the biggest, at over six foot."

So what does Ronan make of the young pretender? "I haven't seen many of their matches this season. I'd love to have got down more often but haven't had the opportunity with my own training.

"He's playing in the centre from what I hear and he's quite physical. He likes tackling and rucking so I have no idea where he got that from. Ah sure, let him learn the hard way," he laughed.

"He's very enthusiastic and that's important. I think the team have benefited from the coaching and the fact that former internationals like Ralph Keyes and Michael Bradley have been down to help them."

What odds would the bookmakers offer on David and Morgan becoming a halfback partnership for Con, Munster or Ireland in the future? Probably not much, given the bloodlines.