France, New Zealand and Argentina will be Ireland's opponents at the pool stage of the FIRA under-21 tournament in Argentina in July.
The eight competing countries are split into two pools of four teams, and the other group consists of England, Australia, South Africa and Wales, the latter belatedly invited after Italy's decision to withdraw.
The exact format of the tournament is proving contentious. The original conception was that each country would play the other three in the pool. Based on the final standings, the winners of Pool A would play the winners of Pool B, second against second, all the way down to the teams finishing last. This would determine rankings for future events.
However the organisers then decided that a fairer system would be to introduce semi-finals with the top two countries in each group meeting (first in Pool A v second in Pool B and vice versa). The other participants would also be guaranteed matches. England, Wales and to a lesser extent Ireland objected to the fact that the duration of the tournament would have to be extended and that players could be asked to play five matches in a period of time less than three weeks. The English RFU and the WRU are both under pressure from clubs with regard to the release of players.
The IRFU offered a letter of support to their Five Nations colleagues but informed the Argentinian Rugby Union that they would take up their invitation to play no matter what format was eventually decided. The discussions are ongoing but a solution is expected within the next fortnight.
Because of the difference in the age qualification for this tournament, six Irish players who played on the under-21 team that won four of five Test matches this season - Ireland lost to Wales - will not be eligible for Argentina: these are Peter Stringer (UCC), Marcus Horan (Shannon), Peter Smyth (St Mary's College), John Fogarty (Cork Constitution), John Campbell (Terenure College) and Richard Woods (Dublin University).
Ireland coach Warren Gatland has not as yet made a decision on whether the three under-21 players travelling with the senior national side to Australia will be available for the underage tournament. Providing they manage only limited exposure to competitive fare down under, Robert Casey (Blackrock), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD) and Jeremy Staunton (Garryowen) should travel to Argentina. Scrum-half Ciaran Scally would also be eligible for the Argentinian tournament.
Better news for under-21 coach Brian McLaughlin is that A internationals Gordon D'Arcy and Shane Horgan, neither of whom played at the underage level, should be at his disposal, injury permitting.
Meanwhile the IRFU has announced that a further 10 players have been contracted to the IRFUCoca Cola Academy for periods of one to three years. Aged between 18 and 21 years the new recruits bring to 35 the number of players contracted. The players undergo programmes for physiological, technical, tactical, psychological and personal development.
The 10 new members are: Gary Brown (centre, Blackrock College), Kieran Lewis (centre, St Mary's College), James Norton (wing, St Mary's College), Fiachra Baynes (utility back, St Michael's College), Bryan Young (prop, Ballymena Academy), Simon Keogh (scrum-half, Old Belvedere), Nigel Brady (prop, Dungannon), Niall Treston (prop, Blackrock College), Jerry Flannery (hooker, UCC) and Trevor Hogan (Dublin University).
The Leinster Branch has announced the appointment of Greystones stalwart Ken Ging as manager of the Leinster senior squad. Ging, who succeeds Jim Glennon, was a former chairman of selectors with the province in the 1988-'89 season.
DLSP: E Devitt; D McCabe, N O'Riordan, M Cunningham, S Gormley; D O'Riordan, B Hogan; K Condron, S Cullen, C Shanley, K Wheelock (capt), P McDonnell, A Toher, P Werahiko, P Nugent.
