Craddock confident

Non-playing captain Mick Craddock will give all his Ireland players a taste of the action today as the men's Home International matches begin at Royal Co Down.

All 11 in the Irish squad will play against Wales. Opening the series will be defending champions England and Scotland with the former going for seven titles in a row. Ireland, completing a hat-trick, was the last country apart from England to collect the Raymond International Trophy but hopes are high that the host nation will stop the English gallop.

"I'm quietly confident that we can win this time," says Mick Craddock. "We have a very strong team with a lot of experience mixed with youth but if the wind gets up home advantage might not mean so much." The fact that the British Amateur Championship was played at Newcastle earlier this season also gives many of the visiting teams an advantage that they wouldn't have had otherwise.

They have already tested the tough links but preparations this week were interrupted because of Monday's heavy rain. Some of the Irish players only managed three or four holes before they had to stop. The course became flooded and so was the practice ground. Later, however, the players managed to resume their practice and Craddock organised his squad to resume play where they had left off so that they would get in a full 18 holes.

Ireland begin their bid to win back the honours against Wales today. Last season, at Royal Portcawl, these teams shared their battle and finished joint second behind England, both having beaten Scotland. England beat all opposition.

Craddock has paired Garth McGimpsey and Noel Fox in the opening foursomes match against Jamie Donaldson and Nigel Edwards while Irish Close Champion Ciaran McMonagle will lead the home side in the singles.

Next comes Paddy Gribben, who is glad to be back in competition after his brush with qualifying for the European Tour. Mark Campbell was paired yesterday with Garth McGimpsey so that the experienced Bangor man could show the pitfalls of the Newcastle course to the 19-year-old UCD student, who is making his debut. Campbell and Eddie Power, called in to replace the unavailable Ken Kearney, have the anchor role in the foursomes.