Ireland Under-21 Squad: Player-by-player guide

Stephen Baretto

Age: 21.

Position: Loosehead prop.

Club: Terenure College.

Representative honours: Natal U-21 A squad, Ireland U-21 Six Nations squad.

Strong, mobile prop who will be Ireland's first choice loosehead during the tournament. Provided backup to the absent Marcus Horan during the Six Nations earlier in the year.

Simon Best

Age: 21.

Position: Tighthead prop. Club: Newcastle.

Representative honours: SN squad.

Excellent around the pitch, both he and Baretto will see plenty of action and will underpin Ireland's scrummage. Makes an awful lot of tackles for a frontrow player.

Kieron Campbell

Age: 20.

Position: Scrum-half.

Club: London Irish.

Representative honours: U-19 World Cup winner (1997), SN squad.

Injured during the Six Nations, he will be the starting scrum-half in Argentina. Quick, elusive and boasting a decent pass, Campbell is very vocal on the pitch. Partnership with Jeremy Staunton is crucial.

Robert Casey

Age: 20.

Position: Second row.

Club: Blackrock College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21, Senior squad tour to Australia 1999.

Outstanding prospect who made a big impression on this summer's senior tour to Australia. Superb tackler, great ball carrier and someone to whom the other players look up to. Key player.

Leo Cullen

Age: 21.

Position: Number eight

Club: Blackrock College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 (capt).

In his second season as captain of the under-21 team. Good communicator, intelligent footballer and a central lineout option. An integral part of a hard-working backrow.

Bryn Cunningham

Age: 21.

Position: Out-half.

Club: Bective Rangers.

Representative honours: U-21 SN squad.

Started the year as first choice out-half before losing out to Jeremy Staunton. Neat, tidy footballer provides options at centre and possibly full back.

Jonathan Davis

Age: 21.

Position: Wing.

Club: Dungannon.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 SN squad.

The quickest member of the squad and a potent finisher. Davis will be central to Ireland's attacking gambits and the objective will be to create space for him and let his blistering pace do the rest.

Des Dillon

Age: 19.

Position: Number eight.

Club: UCD.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 SN squad.

Captain of this year's under-19 side, the former Clongowes schoolboy is an exceptional prospect. Will play second fiddle to Cullen but may make the bench for a couple of matches.

Andrew Dunne

Age: 19.

Position: Out-half.

Club: Old Belvedere.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-21, SN squad.

Injured for large stretches of the season, Dunne has fully recovered. The former Irish schools out-half could be a surprise inclusion, as a result of his pace, on the wing for one of the matches. Quality backup.

Jerry Flannery

Age: 20.

Position: Hooker.

Club: UCC.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, Universities.

The absence of Peter Smyth and John Fogarty allows the UCC hooker an opportunity to claim a place in not only the squad but the team. Quick and abrasive, he vies with Adrian Flavin for the starting berth.

Adrian Flavin

Age: 20.

Position: Hooker.

Club: London Irish.

Representative honours: U-19 World Cup winner (1997).

A member of the under-19 World Cup winning team, a feature of his play then was his accurate lineout throwing under pressure. Tough and combative, he may share playing time with Flannery.

Kevin Hartigan

Age: 21.

Position: Centre.

Club: Garryowen.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 SN squad.

Will switch from outside to inside centre to accommodate Shane Horgan. Has played the latter role with Garryowen this season. Good defender with decent pace and one of Ireland's better players in the Six Nations.

Michael Haslett

Age: 21.

Position: Flanker.

Club: Cambridge.

Representative honours: Ireland U19.

Played prop in the under-19 side of three years ago but converted to openside flanker. Much will depend on whether Ireland operate with a genuine openside in which case he faces a straight fight with Andrew Hughes.

Shane Horgan

Age: 20.

Position: Centre.

Club: Lansdowne.

Representative honours: Irish Youths, U-21, A teams.

His presence after a season with the A team is a huge plus for his underage colleagues. A strong, hard running centre he will be a central cog in both attack and defence.

Andrew Hughes

Age: 19.

Position: Flanker.

Club: Dungannon.

Representative honours: Irish Schools (1996-1998).

Three years in the Irish Schools team mark him as an exceptional prospect. If Ireland go with a genuine openside, as opposed to switching Paul Neville across, then Hughes will be favoured if ground conditions suit.

Aidan Kearney

Age: 20.

Position: Lock/Flanker.

Club: UCD.

Representative honours: U-19 World Cup winner (1997), U-21 SN squad.

Another World Cup winner (under19), Kearney is an excellent ball player. The six foot six inch UCD player can fit in anywhere in the back five except openside. Likely to start on the bench.

Tom Keating

Age: 21.

Position: Full back.

Club: Blackrock College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 SN squad.

There isn't a more courageous or big hearted player in the squad. Played on the left wing in the Six Nations but will be the starting full back in the absence of Geordan Murphy and Gordon D'Arcy.

Simon Keogh

Age: 19.

Position: Scrum-half.

Club: Old Belvedere.

Representative honours: Irish Schools.

Another of whom great things is expected. Exceptionally quick with a good eye for the gap, he may start as backup to Campbell but should be given playing time. Benefitted from the late withdrawal of Ciaran Scally.

Mark McHugh

Age: 20.

Position: Out-half/Centre.

Club: St Mary's College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, Universities, Under-21.

Versatile utility back who can play out-half, centre and possibly full back. Fine place-kicker and a very good all round player, McHugh's role may be initially limited to a place on the bench.

Shane Moore

Age: 20.

Position: Centre.

Club: UCD.

Representative honours: U-19 World Cup winners (1997, capt).

Captained the World Cup winning side from the centre, Moore received a late call-up for Argentina because of the withdrawal of Cormac Dowling and Geordan Murphy. Strong, intelligent dependable centre with good hands.

Paul Neville

Age: 20.

Position: Flanker.

Club: Garryowen.

Representative honours: U-19, U-21 SN squad.

An ever present member of Ireland's Six Nations team at blindside flanker, Neville is a workaholic. Wonderfully committed, he may be asked to translate his qualities to the other flank, particularly if conditions get sticky.

Andrew O'Brien

Age: 20.

Position: Loosehead prop.

Club: UCD.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19 World Cup winner (1997).

Young prop who will be the understudy to Baretto in the tournament. Given that Ireland must play three games in nine days he will be asked to contribute from the bench. Very mobile.

Mick O'Driscoll

Age: 20.

Position: Second row.

Club: UCC.

Representative honours: U-19, Universities, U-21 SN squad.

The baby of the Munster senior pack this season, O'Driscoll is an influential figure in the under-21 set-up. Excellent lineout operator with a good work ethic, much will be expected of him.

Donnacha O'Callaghan

Age: 20.

Position: Second row/back row.

Club: Cork Constitution.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19 World Cup winner (1997), U-21 SN squad.

Great attitude and an excellent prospect, O'Callaghan is capable of playing in either the second row or at blindside flanker. The latter position may be the one which tempts the selectors. Excellent ball player and intelligent to boot.

David Quinlan

Age: 21.

Position: Centre.

Club: Blackrock College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19, U-21 SN squad.

Nothing fazes the `Ice Man'. A hard hitting tackler, he will again be asked to play on the right wing, although his preferred position is inside centre. Possesses the tactical nous to switch. Others will look to him.

Jeremy Staunton

Age: 19.

Position: Out-half.

Club: Garryowen.

Representative honours: Irish Youths, U-19, U-21 SN squad, A team, Senior tour to Australia (1999).

Staunton will bring down the curtain on a magnificent season hoping to once again assume centre stage. Wonderful prospect upon whom rests so much. Great hands, good feet, reads the game well and a good defender. Could be one of the stars of the tournament.

Niall Treston

Age: 19.

Position: Tighthead prop.

Club: Blackrock College.

Representative honours: Irish Schools, U-19.

Very tough task for such a young prop. Again given the impositions on the first choice front-row may be asked to play the latter end of matches depending on how things go. Will certainly profit from the experience.

Paddy Wallace

Age: 19.

Position: Out-half/Full back.

Club: UCD.

Representative honours: U-19 World Cup winner (1997).

Out-half in the side that won the World Cup (1997), he has played most of the season in the UCD under-20s at full back. Possessing great balance and good feet, he could force his way into the team given an opportunity.