Hong Kong first test for Ireland

Hong Kong's sevens tournament is often dismissed as frivolous and frothy, eye candy without the cerebral implications of the 15-man game. Ireland has never really embraced the concept of this version as a single entity, allocating it an importance in its own right.

While the IRFU has sent teams to Hong Kong and the Sevens World Cup and raised the profile in the 1990s, they have never attached any great emphasis to developing this code. Attitudes are changing and the IRFU are attempting to put the structures in place to make Ireland competitive in time for the 2001 World Cup.

Two great exponents of the Sevens game, former internationals Denis McBride and Alain Rolland have been charged, in the capacity of coach and team manager, with guiding Ireland's fortunes in the Hong Kong Sevens which starts today.

While preparation has been curtailed because of the demands on players, Rolland and McBride take a young team to Hong Kong with a view not only to immediate competition but to the 2001 World Cup. Former Blackrock scrum-half Rolland admitted: "Our preparations have been limited to two training weekends in which we had trials for the 10-man squad.

"Most squads will have competed together in two other tournaments prior to arriving here. We haven't got that luxury purely because of fixture schedules. Three of the squad, Fergal Campion, Dominic Crotty and Shane Horgan were members of the team that won the Benidorm Sevens last June.

"We went through the players that we wanted with Warren (Gatland) and Donal (Lenihan) and they told us who wouldn't be available because of international commitments." The Irish team arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon and will have three training sessions before today's opening game against their hosts.

In what represents very tough group, the Irish must also overcome a Croatian team sprinkled with New Zealanders. It represents a huge assignment but Rolland is upbeat. "We learnt on our arrival that Croatia would have a few Kiwis while the Hong Kong side mostly consists of New Zealanders and they are determined to do well this year.

"Realistically two wins out of three would be a very good achievement in the Pool stage. Even without players like Christian Cullen and Jonah Lomu, New Zealand are still very strong. Specialists like Dallas Seymour and Eric Rush are here.

"We have some excellent ball players, we are good in attack because we have that mix of skill and pace. What we have to work on are the defensive patterns. The speed is there in guys like James Topping, John McWeeney, Brian Carey, Dominic Crotty and Kevin Nowlan."

Rolland and McBride were central figures in Ireland's greatest moments in Sevens. In 1993 at this event they won all three pool matches before losing in sudden death to Australia in the quarterfinal. Later that year it was the Australians that broke Irish hearts again when they beat the Irish in the World Cup semi-final.

Emulating those feats may be beyond this Irish team but Rolland maintains that they are capable of being competitive and that a decent performance will ensure that the players enjoy the tournament. "The atmosphere here is unique. You have 40,000 people crammed into a stadium where the crowd is very close to the playing surface.

"The football is very serious on the field, much more so in recent years but on Sunday night the camaraderie and craic can be all the more enjoyable if you feel that you have performed well."

Perennial finalists and Sevens masters Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Western Samoa are all burdened by expectation but for Ireland acquitting themselves well will be the goal.

ITINERARY: Today: Ireland v Hong Kong (11.30 Irish time). Saturday: Ireland v Croatia (4.30 a.m. Irish time); Ireland v New Zealand (9.30 a.m. Irish time). Sunday: Finals of cup, plate and bowl depending on qualification.

IRELAND SQUAD: S Horgan (Lansdowne), J McWeeney (St Mary's), F Campion (St Mary's), D Crotty (Garryowen), B Carey (Blackrock), D Wallace (Garryowen), B Everitt (Lansdowne), D Corkery (Cork Constitution), K Nowlan (St Mary's), J Topping (Ballyena). Coach: D McBride. Manager: A Rolland. Physio: J Martin.

Ireland begin the defence of their FIRA Under-19 World Youths Championship against Georgia in Dunvant, Wales, tonight (6.0) unburdened by expectation. Five defections including A international Geordan D'Arcy and schools international centre Kieran Lewis have ensured that coach Declan Kidney would have to perform a miracle to emulate last season's success.

The Georgians should not unduly trouble Ireland and that is reflected in the fact that Under-21 international, Garryowen's Jeremy Staunton is selected on the bench. Alex Cahill, a member of Blackrock's victorious Leinster Schools' Cup winning team is selected at full back.

The team is captained by former Clongowes star Des Dillon and the number eight will have to be an influential performer if Ireland is to prosper.

If, as expected they beat Georgia, then they face the winner of the match between Italy and Chile: the former should prevail. Ireland has already beaten Italy this season albeit by virtue of an injury time try. Victory in the second match would put them into the semi-final and a clash with debutants New Zealand.

Making the semi-final will be Ireland's goal and securing a top four seeding for next year's competition. Anything else would constitute a huge bonus.

IRELAND U-19: A Cahill (Blackrock College); G Rossi (St Paul's College), R Murphy (Bective Rangers), J Downey (Belvedere College), G Brady (Ballina); M Meenan (Leicester), D Spence (QUB); K Cowman (Suttonians), G Hickie (St Mary's College), R McGrath (Cork Constitution); D Barber (Malone), N Breslin (Mullingar); D Danaher (London Irish), D Dillon (UCD, capt), J O'Connor (Corinthians).