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INTERVIEW/ALLEN CLARKE: Gavin Cummiskeymeets the man charged with moulding the Ireland U20s into an international force

IT CANNOT have been easy for Ireland under-20s coach Allen Clarke to watch Leinster A flanker Seán O'Brien power through the Munster defence for a fine try at Donnybrook yesterday afternoon. The powerful Tullow 21-year-old and the rest of Leinster's fringe or developing players get to hammer into the younger, smaller national underage side next Monday at the same venue.

At the same time Clarke probably cannot wait for his young charges to receive this timely baptism of fire. Starting today, when the former Ulster hooker gathers a 25-man squad at Ashbourne RFC, he must mould the U20s into an international XV ahead of the opening Six Nations encounter with France in Athlone on Friday, February 6th.

There is only one more tune up, against Ulster A, after the next training camp in Belfast on January 5th. Then in June, the squad travels to Japan for the IRB Junior World Cup and, much like the French, English and possibly Welsh packs they will face in the spring, they are sure to meet physically superior opponents from the Southern Hemisphere; hence they organise what initially seems a lambs to the slaughter scenario of getting bashed about by provincial selections.

"We've got to be smart in terms of what we do," says Clarke. "Looking at the profile of players we have, we're going to have to play ball in hand rugby. I believe we can play physical rugby but we're going to have to be clever - with and without the ball - so as to force us to challenge the opposition and be in a position to win games.

"A year into my current position and it has been a good eye-opener. We have already put in place a development Irish U20s squad for the 2009/10 season, so we are working 18 months out from the Junior World Cup as opposed to six months out," he says.

Things appear to have improved since Ireland U19 coach Charlie McAleese criticised the preparations inage grade Irish rugby two seasons back after a brave Irish team proved vastly inferior in the physical stakes against Australia and South Africa.

Clarke was at pains to state the development squad is not an exclusive club, in fact, he believes it should be the opposite. The key to developing Ireland's comparatively meagre player base is identifying the less motivated 6ft 6in skinny secondrow teenager and developing him.

Another problem is finding a gem of an outhalf, the next Ronan O'Gara, Tony Ward, Paul Dean, Ollie Campbell or David Humphreys. Blackrock's Ian Madigan, Ian McKinley of UCD and Andrew Burke from Garryowen are the number 10s in the current squad, Madigan being front of the queue having featured last season.

"It doesn't take an expert to see there is a clear need for outhalves," explains Clarke. "They are worth looking at but they remain young in terms of their professional development. This will be a good barometer for them."

Despite a player like O'Brien bursting through the youth ranks, the schools system remains the bedrock of Irish rugby and relations with the IRFU appear to be improving.

"Some players from the under-16s upwards are coming out of the school environment two, three days a week to link up with players from other schools to work on skills and physical development within the performance programme," says Clarke. "This is done in harmony with the schools, for the betterment of the players."

There is talent in the current squad, especially if Rob Kearney's younger sibling David and Garryowen's Conor Murray regain peak fitness. Some imposing forwards in Ciarán Ruddock, son of former Leinster and Welsh coach Mike, and James Sanford of Queen's University both return from last year's, albeit, unsuccessful campaign, so there is potential.