Planet Rugby

Just going isn't enoughThe IRFU must address serious issues following the performance of the Ireland team in the IRB/FIRA Under-19 World Championships that finished over the weekend.

The national side finished a disappointing ninth of 16 teams, winning their final game against Georgia, 34-12.

It is far removed from the day when Ireland won the tournament back in 1998, albeit one must acknowledge that New Zealand, Australia and England had not embraced the competition at that stage. Ireland still managed to overcome South Africa, Argentina and France, all accomplished sides at this level.

Last year, Ireland lost to Uruguay in the first match, in this season's competition it was Italy, a side that they had beaten 34-0 in Limerick several weeks earlier. It would be remiss, though, to blame the coaching staff or the players when one considers the constraints under which the national side is asked to operate.

They fare second best behind the schools age group when it comes to primacy of selection, yet, at schools level, Ireland play only England, France and Wales while at the under-19 grouping it is truly a global gathering that pits them against the best in world rugby.

If one takes that among the Leinster, Munster and Ulster schools finalists this season there must be plenty of fine players among the 90 plus that competed in the regional deciders yet only about 30 per cent made it to the Ireland Schools squad that beat England over the weekend. Wherein lies the priority for the IRFU?

Surely they must be serious about being competitive on foreign fields and not just dispatched to make up the numbers. Contrast this attitude with the winners for a third time in four attempts, New Zealand. The baby All Blacks team manager Kevin Gimblett explains: "We have regional trials for 2,000 players.

"Then the provinces take over and whittle them down to between 100 and 150. From those we take 26 on what amounts to a five-week tour, because it starts off with a domestic 12-day assembly that includes two warm-up matches before heading for tournament.

"All the boys are amateurs but we are teaching them the professional ways. They room with the direct opposition - they guy who wants their place - and we find that they spur each other on."

Ireland's preparation, or lack or it, quite apart from the players available, is shambolic in comparison.

The proof? New Zealand beat France 71-18 in the final while Ireland finished behind the aforementioned finalists South Africa, Argentina, Scotland, England, Wales and Italy.

The International Board (IRB) pumped £250,000 into the tournament this year and see it as the perfect precursor to the Under-21 World Championship. The IRFU must realise it's not the taking part that counts.

A successful dual

ANY disappointment that former Blackrock and Terenure second row Pat Holden might have felt in missing Carlow's crucial AIB League Division One game against Ballymena at Oak Park on Saturday was more than compensated for by his input into Kilkenny's victory over Highfield in the AIB round-robin qualification series.

Holden holds dual status in that he can play senior rugby for Carlow and junior for Kilkenny; for this season at least. Despite spending 10 minutes in the sin bin, Holden returned to score the winning try in Kilkenny's 21-15 victory over Highfield on Saturday. In the other round robin match, Queen's University hammered Westport 47-11. Holden then nipped down to Carlow to celebrate his dual success with a few pints.

The shirt off our back

There was a great response to last week's competition in which we asked you to name the five Ireland players in the match 22 for the game against Italy that were born outside Ireland. We got some interesting answers; the correct one was Malcom O'Kelly (Essex), Guy and Simon Easterby (both Harrogate), Ronan O'Gara (USA) and Frankie Sheahan (Toronto).

Now the polo shirts are so exclusive and sought after that we've had to order some new ones and there may be a slight delay but Limerick's Mike McLoughlin and Cathal McCabe of Belfast will definitely be receiving one each as competitions winners.

In our generosity we have also decided to give one to Jim Egan for the best begging e-mail and given his circumstances in trying to watch the match in the Krygyz Republic. He got up on the Sunday at 6.30 a.m. to watch full delayed coverage on the Star Sports network.

Team of the month

The Irish Times/AIB team of the month: J Lacey (Shannon); D Dillon (Cork Con), K Lewis (St Mary's), C Mahony (Cork Con), O Winchester (Clontarf); E Elwood (Galwegians), B O'Riordan (UCD); P Brennan (Carlow), M Uijs (Galwegians), W O'Kelly (Clontarf), M O'Driscoll (Cork Con), T Hayes (Shannon), D Quinlan (Shannon), B Gissing (Clontarf), C Varley (Garryowen).

We have used poetic licence in the positioning of a couple of players in this the last of the monthly team's. Details of The Irish Times/AIB Team of the Year will be announced in next Monday's Planet rugby.

Adding salt to the wound

It really was a bad weekend for Wasps and England number eight Joe Worsley by the time he had left Paris following the Six Nations Championship game against France.

Not only was he a member of the England team that had been beaten and once again seen Grand Slam hopes dashed but he suffered a freak accident in the bath in the aftermath.

"I walked into a deep spa bath and stepped on something that was razor sharp. My foot was cut to shreds and there was blood everywhere. I had to be carried out of the bath." Worsley is considering legal action after receiving no acknowledgement or apology from the French authorities.

He fumed: "There was a five inch gash along the ball of my foot. I could easily have lost a toe. There wasn't a word of an apology and I'm infuriated by the whole thing. I have to clean the wound twice a day and it's still very sore."

Worsley's mood probably wasn't helped by the fact that he was subsequently dropped by England coach Clive Woodward for a below-par performance.

Rugby Speak

"The Irish forward-play so far in the Six Nations has been pretty disappointing. The team are still caught between the top tier of England and France and the group of Scotland, Wales and Italy below them. Next season, the one before the World Cup, they have France and England at home. They'll be screaming for a Grand Slam. But it's possible to see Ireland losing not only those two at Lansdowne Road but two on the road as well: Four games out of five lost. They're putting a lot of pressure on themselves."

- Former Ireland coach Warren Gatland speaks frankly in an interview in the Observer newspaper.

"We wondered if he was human. He went off the rails so much that it made us think he was mad, but in the world of the prop there is always huge respect for a warrior like Clohessy, who has left his mark on the history of the game."

- Legendary French prop/hardman Louis Armary gives Peter Clohessy the seal of approval. Clohessy made his debut against the French and the following season was literally beaten black and blue by Armary in Paris.