Under-21 World Cup: It wouldn't take a rugby Einstein to deduce that the Southern Hemisphere big three are commonly regarded as the heavyweights amongst the elite dozen teams who will be contesting the Under-21 IRB World Cup in England over the next 17 days. In the underage game, it's been ever thus.
The former Leinster coach, Matt Williams, has always placed great store by the quicker physical maturity of players in the Southern Hemisphere along with the comparative late blooming of players in this part of the rugby playing world, and the global underage tournaments regularly tend to enforce this theory.
It would be a major and pleasant surprise of this second running of the Under-21 World Cup if it deviated from the dog-eared script. However, not only do South Africa, New Zealand and Australia tend to be bigger and stronger, accordingly their players are usually more exposed to top-flight rugby.
Hence, South Africa had only two Super 12 players within their ranks when they won the inaugural competition last year, and this year they return with six. In all, seven players return from the side that won last year's World Cup on home soil, and six are now plying their trade in arguably the toughest rugby league anywhere in the world.
Similarly, despite losing Joe Rokocoko, centre Ma'a Nonu and utility back Daniel Carter to the All Blacks, New Zealand coach Bryce Woodward was still able to select nine of the squad that played in South Africa last year. Anyone who saw the remodelled Auckland Blues irreverently regain the Super 12 crown will be struck by the inclusion of centre Sam Tuitupou, playing at this level for the third time.
New Zealand run into Australia in the final round of pool games, and it would be no surprise if that were a precursor to the final on Sunday, June 29th.
The Australian squad includes 10 players who played in this year's Super 12 competition. Nor were the likes of Brumbies wing Mark Gerrard, Waratahs flanker Rocky Elsom and Reds scrum-half Josh Valentine exactly bit players.
Viewed in this light, the Irish team, which is coached by Michael Bradley, could hardly have a more daunting task than playing the top seeds, South Africa, in today's opening match in Iffley Road.
Irish manager Dave Haslett admits it's a daunting task but adds: "We've played them for the last two years and although we were beaten 43-22 last year in Ellis Park it was only two tries to one, while the year before in the final SANZAR tournament in Australia we beat them 43-42. We've also done well in the Six Nations and we're quite happy with the underdog status."
Haslett is the first to concede that Ireland's four wins out of five in the Six Nations were close affairs, but this in turn underlines what he hails as "the tenacity" of this side and its balance.
Their scrum showed up particularly well in their final warm-up match against the Irish under-23s in Merrion Road three weeks ago, and Haslett is confident their pack will be able to compete. And they do have pace out wide, noticeably in the game-breaking full back Tommy Bowe and winger John Hearty.
Argentina are Ireland's second opponents in Newbury next Tuesday, with Scotland being the concluding pool opposition four days later back at Iffley Road.
Argentina are expected to be cut from the traditional Puma cloth - big, physical, rugged and forward-orientated - while the Scots have targeted their under-21 set-up much more noticeably this season and there was precious little between the sides when Ireland sealed a tight win in injury-time in the Six Nations opener.
The competition format decrees that teams play opponents from another pool, so Wales and Canada (likely to be whipping boys) will also play the same three opponents, with the Pool A and D sides then tallied together. With the Super 12 bonus points system applying, to make the top two and earn a semi-final Ireland will probably have to win at least two matches and better Wales' results.
IRELAND U-21S (v South Africa): T Bowe (Queen's University); K Matthews (UL Bohs), B Murphy (UL Bohs), G Telford (Instonians), J Hearty (Blackrock College); M Rainey (Glasgow Hawks), F O'Loughlin (Shannon); J Moran (UCD), R Best (Belfast Harlequins), D Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), D Gannon (UCD), N McComb (Dundee Highschool), J Muldoon (Galwegians), S Keogh (UCC, capt), C Potts (St Mary's). Replacements: K Corrigan (UCD), E McGovern (Old Crescent), S Crawford (UCD), N Ronan (Lansdowne), C O'Loughlin (Buccaneers), D McAllister (Terenure), R Lane (UCC).
SOUTH AFRICA: MJ Mentz; A Bock, B Ferreira, L Uys, B Buys; S Swart, E Januarie; JD Moller, D Britz, N Fullard, G Gilfillan, R Skeate, S Burger, H Haupt, J Cronte.
HOW THEY LINE UP
POOL A: South Africa, Argentina, Scotland.
POOL B: Australia, France, Japan.
POOL C: New Zealand, England, Italy.
POOL D: Wales, Ireland, Canada.
TODAY: Iffley Road (3.00): South Africa v Ireland. Newbury (5.00): Argentina v Canada. Henley (3.00): Scotland v Wales. Iffley Road (7.00): Australia v England. Newbury (7.30): France v Italy. Henley (7.00): Japan v New Zealand
JUNE 17th: Henley (3.00): South Africa v Canada. Iffley Rd (3.00): Argentina v Wales. Newbury (5.00): Scotland v Ireland. Henley (7.00): Australia v Italy. Iffley Road (7.00): France v New Zealand. Newbury (7.30): Japan v England.
JUNE 21st: Newbury (6.00): South Africa v Wales. Iffley Road (6.00): Argentina v Ireland. Henley (6.00): Scotland v Canada. Newbury (2.00): Australia v New Zealand. Henley (2.00): France v England. Iffley Road (2.00): Japan v Italy.
JUNE 25th: Match 19 - Kassam Stadium (3.00): 1st Pool A/D v 2nd Pool B/C. Match 20 - Kassam Stadium (7.00): 2nd Pool A/D v 1st Pool B/C. Match 21 - Henley (3.00): 3rd Pool A/D v 4th Pool B/C. Match 22 - Henley (7.00): 4th Pool A/D v 3rd Pool B/C. Match 23 - Newbury (5.00): 5th Pool A/D v 6th Pool B/C. Match 24 - Newbury (7.30): 6th Pool A/D v 5th Pool B/C.
JUNE 29th: Final - Kassam Stadium (4.15): Winner M19 v Winner M20. 3/4 play-off - Kassam Stadium (12.15): Loser M19 v Loser M20 5/6 play-off. Newbury (1.15): Winner M21 v Winner M22. 7/8 play-off - Newbury (11.00): Loser M21 v Loser M22. 9/10 play-off - Henley (1.15) Winner M23 v Winner M24. 11/12 play-off - Henley (11.00): Loser M23 v Loser M24.
Matches will be played across the pools and match points will be awarded on the following basis: Win: 4 points, Draw: 2 points, Loss: 0 points. Bonus points will be awarded in the pool matches for teams scoring four tries or more and to teams which lose by seven points or less.
After the pool stages, teams in pools A and D will be ranked on the basis of the most match points, as will the teams in pools B and C. The top two in pools A/D and the top two in pools B/C will play each other in the semi-finals.
In the event of two teams being equal on match points that position will be determined by the winner of the match between the two teams. If this does not produce a result, or the two teams did not meet, then the ranking shall be decided on points scored for and scored against.
Extra-time and, if necessary, try countback, converted tries or a penalty shoot-out will come into play in the play-off stages.
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