Ireland change nine as they seek an unlikely semi-final place

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:IRELAND COACH Mike Ruddock has made nine changes to the starting team for the final Pool B match against Italy in the Under-20 World Junior Championship. Having retained the same XV for the opening two games, a brilliant victory over South Africa and an agonisingly gallant defeat to Six Nations champions England, he was always going to have to make alterations for this game.

The permutations that would facilitate Ireland’s progress to the semi-finals of the tournament – no matter what the outcome every team will play two more matches after today’s games – basically require the Baby Boks to beat England today, denying the latter a bonus point and not getting one of their own.

This would ensure that a bonus point victory for Ireland over Italy would see them top the pool.

The Irish side is unlikely to claim a semi-final place as the best runner-up across the three pools – they qualify along with the pool winners for the semi-finals – unless there is an outrageous sequence of results.

Ruddock and his young charges have already acquitted themselves superbly to date and will want to put the disappointment of the England game behind them.

He admitted: “I said to the guys afterwards (the England match) that while we’re highly disappointed – we had an opportunity there that we let slip – but we are still in the tournament.

“It’s going to come right down to points difference, I guess. There is a big shoot-out to come from England and South Africa. That’s a massive game.

“We have to try and beat Italy as well, who are scrambling for their lives and looking to cause an upset. They won’t want to lose three matches and will be fired up (not to do so).”

Italy lost 64-5 to England and 52-3 to South Africa but face an Ireland team with those nine changes.

Sam Coghlan Murray and Chris Farrell are retained at wing and centre, with Peter Nelson switching from fullback to the midfield. Prop Des Merrey, secondrow Iain Henderson and number eight Jack Conan will once again be on duty.

The torrential rain that struck the Cape Town area has seen this match switched from the Danie Craven Stadium to the larger Cape Town Stadium. Ireland beat Italy 27-8 at Dubarry Park in the Six Nations earlier in the season, so it’ll take a decent performance today to at least keep their end of the bargain and secure that bonus point win.

IRELAND: M Sherlock (Leinster); C Finn (Connacht), P Nelson (Ulster), C Farrell (Ulster), S Coghlan Murray (Leinster); J Carty (Connacht), L McGrath (Leinster); D Merrey (Leinster), J Rael (Munster), P Reilly (Leinster); A O’Connor (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster); A Conneely (Connacht), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster). Replacements: N Scannell (Munster), T Furlong (Leinster), J Cawley (Leinster), T Beirne (Leinster), S Buckley (Munster), K Marmion (Connacht), C Marsh (Leinster), S Olding (Ulster).

IRELAND NEED WIN, BONUS AND THEN HOPE FOR THE BEST

IRELAND NEED to beat Italy with a bonus point and hope that South Africa win against England, denying the English a bonus point, while also requiring that the Baby Boks don’t get a bonus point of their own in scoring four tries. Ireland could then top Pool B.

New Zealand, on six points, must lose to Fiji. If as expected they get a bonus point victory and Wales beat Samoa then both teams could qualify from Pool A.

Argentina, who have beaten by France and Australia, would have to lose to Scotland; this result coming in tandem with a defeat for New Zealand or Wales with the latter not getting a bonus point in defeat. Even then it would come down to points’ differential.