Win-or-bust for Ireland as they square off with Baby Boks

HOPEFUL: rectify things. There isn’t a lot that can be done in between games other than recover but the lads are looking forward to this one.

‘We were disappointed not to get the win against France but it’s a chance to bounce back,’ added McNamara. Georgia. But winger Dan Hurley, injured in the opening half against the French, and prop James French, who twisted a knee in the warm-up on Wednesday, have gone home.

They have been replaced by Sligo and Connacht prop Jakub Wojtkowicz and Peter Sullivan of Lansdowne, who has recovered from injury.

McNamara said it was important to use the squad to combat the demands of the short turnaround between games.

‘The good thing about this competition is you get an immediate opportunity to illusion that is going to be a big ask for us.

‘But, equally, people said this was going to be a huge ask for us. We were bitterly disappointed that we didn’t got more than one point against France.’

McNamara has made five changes to the side, two of them enforced through injury, with Cormac Daly coming in to the second row for Matthew Dalton.

The Irish management are hopeful that Dalton, who suffered a shoulder injury in the game against France, will be fit for next Thursday’s concluding pool game against IRELAND Under 20 coach Noel McNamara is hopeful his men can bounce back from their opening night 26-24 loss to France and put South Africa to the sword in Narbonne today (3.30pm Irish time, EirSport2).

Ireland need to win to keep their hopes of a semi-final spot in the World Rugby U20 Championship alive, and McNamara believes they can deliver.

But he is under no illusion about the difficulty of the task facing them against the Baby Boks, who came from behind to oust Georgia 33-27 in a bruising encounter in Perpignan on Wednesday night.

‘South Africa are strong,’ said McNamara. ‘They had a very comprehensive tour of the northern hemisphere.

‘They played England, they played Wales, they played Scotland and won all three games. They are going to be very strong. They are physical, have got some really really good players.

‘Damian Willemse is already well recognised in the Super 15 as being a top player. We are under no Ireland U20 coach Noel McNamara