Injured trio to sit out Bayonne game

RUGBY/World Cup:The Irish team to play the French club Bayonne in tomorrow's penultimate warm-up match ahead of the World Cup will be named today, with David Wallace, Simon Best and Geordan Murphy all likely to be rested because of niggling injuries.

Wallace sat out yesterday's session to ensure full recovery from an ankle problem while Best, suffering from back spasms, joined him in a pitchside rehab session. Murphy was also rested, having sustained a dead leg in his impressive showing at Murrayfield last Saturday.

There is no update on Shane Horgan, who sustained a grade-two knee-ligament tear in the warm-up before the defeat to Scotland. A four-week recovery remains the prognosis.

The warm-weather sessions continued at the Parc des Sports, in Capbreton, southwest France, as temperatures levelled out at 28 degrees.

"It's great to be able to train in these sorts of conditions; it gives us the chance to get a lot or work done without worrying about rain or the weather affecting what we do," said centre Gordon D'Arcy. "It also gives us some idea of what we will be encountering when we get into the tournament."

A capacity crowd of 15,000 are expected at the Stade Jean Dauger, where several Argentinians are likely to line up against Ireland - there are three Pumas on the Bayonne books, none of whom have been named in Marcelo Loffreda's 30-man squad. The club captain is the former French international centre Richard Dourthe.

"The game gives us a chance to get more game time for the squad, which is what we need, so I would expect to get many of the players who did not feature against Scotland on the park at some stage," said Eddie O'Sullivan. "Teams in this part of the world take their rugby very seriously and in front of what is expected to be a full house, we expect to get a tough game."

Ireland's final warm-up game is against Italy at Ravenhill on August 24th.

Meanwhile, the Wales outhalf James Hook yesterday hailed Ireland's pool opponents Argentina as thoroughly deserving of their pre-World Cup ranking of fifth and warned Ireland and France to be wary of them. Hook and his team-mates face Argentina in a warm-up game at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday and he feels the visitors have every right to consider themselves among the game's elite.

The Pumas jumped one place as Ireland slipped to sixth following their 31-21 defeat to Scotland last weekend, leaving Leicester-bound Loffreda's side behind regular top dogs New Zealand, Australia, France and South Africa.

Hook said: "Argentina's place in the rankings is deserved. As players we know they are a very competitive team. They have a great pack and some great individuals in their back line. They deserve to be where they are and it's going to be a tough game on Saturday."

In other news, the Ospreys have announced the signing of the 36-times capped All Black flanker Marty Holah on a three-year deal.

The 30-year-old is a renowned openside who has been denied greater international exposure by the presence of the New Zealand captain Richie McCaw.