THE Ireland under 21 team will be seeking to embellish a superb record when they meet their Scottish counterparts at the Watsonians ground, Myreside, this afternoon. In an attractive double bill, that match will be followed by the meeting of the two countries at A team level.
So plenty to whet the appetite for the championship encounter tomorrow. And while the under 21 side is in action, the Irish Universities will be engaged against the Scottish Universities at the Edinburgh University ground. Having defeated both Wales and England the Irish side will be going for the Triple Crown, an achievement they just failed to attain last season when defeated in injury time by the Welsh.
Three of those eligible for the Irish under 21 team are engaged at higher levels this weekend, Denis Hickie and Brian O'Meara with the senior team and Richard Governey with the A side - Eric Miller is still eligible for the under 21 grade. In addition to those factors, it is also a side that contains several who will be eligible at this level again next season.
Having lost to France and Wales, there was remedial action: taken by the selectors for the match against England and that brought a much improved performance and a very worthy victory.
The team today shows four changes from the side that gained that win. Andrew Park returns on the left for the injured Anthony Horgan, Ronan O'Gara has been called in at out half for Governey, now on the A team, Frank Sheahan returns at hooker to captain the team and Simon Easterby resumes in the number eight berth with John Gardiner reverting to the second row.
Since Ireland first met Scotland at this level in 1993, they won all four with the closest match between being at the same venue two years ago when Ireland won 24-22. Last season Ireland won 21-9 and Ireland have one survivor from that match, prop Barry McConnell. Scotland do not have any.
Having beaten the New Zealand and England teams a win today would give Ireland a winning return of three wins from five matches.
In contrast to the fine record of the under 21 team against the Scots, the Ireland A team ended a five match losing sequence last season when they won 26-19 in Donnybrook.
Only two of the Ireland team that played in that match will be playing today. They are left wing Niall Woods and number eight Anthony Foley. The Scots only survivor is centre Ronnie Eriksson.
Both teams, however, include several players capped at senior level thus giving them the levening of experience. In that respect four of the Ireland backs are full caps. They are full back Ciaran Clarke, right wing Dominic Crotty, left wing Woods and scrum half Niall Hogan. In the pack loose head prop Henry Hurley and the Shannon back row pair Eddie Halvey and Anthony Foley have all played in the top international grade.
The full internationals in the Scotland team include Eriksson and wing Derek Stark as well as loose head prop Peter Wright - a former Lion - and back row Carl Hogg.
The Scots scored a very big and impressive win over Wales but then suffered a reverse of even bigger proportions against England A, who also saw off Ireland at this level comfortably. England's big pack laid the foundations for the win after Ireland had made a great start and went 19 points clear.
The Scottish pack is not anything as strong as the England eight and Ireland should not face similar difficulties today. So scrum half Hogan should get the possession on which the three quarter line could prosper.
There is also an incentive for the Ireland players in that Ireland will be going to New Zealand in May with a party that will embrace some of the senior squad and those rated to be in the development category.
Those two matches today should certainly be interesting and informative, wins for Ireland would be very welcome as would victory for the Irish Universities who will be favourites to capture the Triple Crown.
