YOUTHS' rugby, set up to cater for boys under-18 who do not attend rugby-playing schools, has made considerable strides in recent years with both an interprovincial and international structure in place. This weekend the international aspect of this important area of development will be broadened for the Irish youngsters who travel to play Spain in Valladolid on Sunday.
This will be the first visit to the Continent for the Irish youngsters and the game against Spain is in preparation for matches against Scotland in Galway on March 30th and against Wales in Cardiff on April 27th.
The team will be under the management of Brendan O'Dowd, former chairman of the Munster senior selection committee and a former Ireland sub-selector at senior level, and the coach is Bart Fanning. The youths side defeated Scotland 15-11 last season and lost to Wales in the last minute at Thomond Park, 17-12. The previous year Ireland defeated both Wales and Scotland.
The Ireland team to meet England in the International Championship on Saturday week and the Ireland A side to play England in Richmond on Friday week will both be chosen in Dublin tonight. This was confirmed yesterday, by manager Pat Whelan. The teams will be announced at 8 am tomorrow. There had. been a suggestion that the selection would be deferred until later in the week, but the manager has decided to stick to his original arrangements.
The IRFU, who on Monday sent a video of a stamping incident involving Wales' flanker Martyn Williams on Ireland's Malcolm O'Kelly in the A international against Ireland last Friday, have not cited Williams for the incident. The IRFU is awaiting a response from the WRU before taking the matter any further.
It is unlikely that there will, be any development on the issue for a few days. Some of the Welsh officials are currently in London at a conference organised by the International Board. These include the coach Kevin Bowring and the WRU director of rugby Terry Cobner. It is likely that both will want to see the video before the WRU makes any decision on the complaint.
The video was sent to the WRU after being viewed on Monday afternoon by IRFU officials, including a former international referee. They felt that there is case to answer. "As of now the matter is with the Welsh Rugby Union and we await a response from the WRU," said IRFU secretary Philip Browne yesterday.
The first-round Leinster Senior Cup tie between the holders St Mary's, and Lansdowne, postponed some weeks ago because of ground conditions and which had been provisionally fixed for next Saturday, will not now take place until after the All-Ireland League is completed in April. That decision was taken last night by the Leinster Branch.
