Ireland had an excellent second round of the World Cup in Buenos Aires yesterday to put themselves in a strong position to challenge for a title they have won twice before.

After the opening day's fourballs, which found Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley finished on eight under par and seven shots behind leaders New Zealand and Argentina, the Irish pair found their form in yesterday's foursomes format to move to 14-under-par.

Ireland and Paraguay matched each other for the second day running with both teams carding a 66, to move to 130 for the two rounds.

Ireland got the perfect start as Harrington holed from 15 feet on the first. Then Paul McGinley, the partner with whom he won in South Carolina in 1997, had a spectacular chip-in from a tight spot at the short fifth.

After two-putting the long sixth - the hole on which McGinley had an albatross two in practice on Tuesday - the pair then picked up more shots at the 10th and 12th.

Meanwhile, just when they appeared to be losing vital ground, Tiger Woods and David Duval burst into life.

Four successive birdie putts from the 13th - all by Duval - gave the United States a seven-under-par 65 in the second round and brought them right back into the picture.

After beginning his post-round press conference with a huge yawn, Woods said: "I thought we played beautifully. Whenever we hit a poor shot the other baled us out and David holed some great putts."

He revealed afterwards that the decision on who drove on the odd holes, far from being hatched over a long discussion, was made on the first tee.

"I just said to David `why don't you go first?' and he was happy with that." It worked out a treat.

Duval, in turn, praised a "parachute" chip Woods pulled off from beside the 13th green. Because of a mound in front of him Woods took a full swing despite being only a few yards from the flag and got the ball to stop within three feet of the hole.

They enter tomorrow's second set of fourball better-ball in third place just two behind New Zealand and hosts Argentina, who after matching 57s in the fourballs added contrasting 67s.

Ian Woosnam and Philip Price produced the lowest round of the day, a 64 which lifted them from next-to-last into a tie for ninth on 12 under.

An among the teams they lea[-frogged over, were Scotland and England, both of whom could do no better than 69. Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr now stand joint 11th on 11-under and Jamie Spence and Brian Davis joint 19th on nine-under.