One player's misfortune often opens the door for another, and that is exactly the case for Irish women's champion Alison Coffey, who will make a much-deserved debut on the British and Irish team in the women's world amateur championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy in Berlin, starting tomorrow.

Coffey's late call-up to the three-woman team came after European champion and Curtis Cup player Emma Duggleby suffered a broken bone in her wrist. As first reserve, Coffey, who missed out on Curtis Cup selection, when she was also first reserve, was drafted into a side that already featured Milltown's Susie O'Brien and Rebecca Hudson.

The addition of Coffey means that the Britain and Ireland side has a real Irish flavour. Apart from two players - O'Brien and Coffey - it also has an Irish captain, Mary McKenna, and an Irish coach, Maureen Madill.

Incidentally, Coffey, from Warrenpoint, will be seeking to give that club a rare distinction as Paddy Gribben was a member of the Britain and Ireland team that captured the Eisenhower Trophy (men's world team championship) in Chile two years ago. Sadly, no Irish player has managed to make the team for next week's defence of that trophy.

Meanwhile, memories of Carnoustie, and all the terror that it inflicted on the world's top professionals in last year's British Open, don't appear to have lingered too long for the Irish amateur selectors who have made a number of brave decisions ahead of next month's men's Home Internationals at the venue.

Indeed, no fewer than five new caps will make their international debuts in the quadrangular tests in a team that has a distinct leaning towards youth rather than experience. Adrian Morrow, at 47, is very much the exception in terms of maturity.

Not surprisingly, Graeme McDowell, who has conquered all before him this summer, is among the quintet of new faces that also features Justin Kehoe, Michael McDermott, Mark Murphy and Tim Rice. The team is completed by Noel Fox, a two-time winner on the domestic circuit this season, Michael Hoey, the North of Ireland champion, Andy McCormick, Johnny Foster, and last year's Irish close champion Ciaran McMonagle.

Garth McGimpsey, who retired from the international scene after last year's matches, Paddy Gribben, who has since moved to the professional ranks, Michael Sinclair, Gary Cullen, Eddie Power and Mark Campbell are the players who have made way on this occasion. Eddie Dunne is the non-playing captain.