RUGBY: FIRA WORLD CUP
GRANT Howieson's outstanding display in Scotland's opening Junior World Cup victory against Portugal at the weekend was rewarded last night when he was named in the team for today's Pool 4 decider against Ireland in Buenos Aires.
Howieson, a Glasgow College PE student, will play at open-side flanker with Simon Taylor, who occupied that position in the win against England, reverting to the No.6 shirt.
The Scots' manager, Bruce Hay said that decision had followed the management's scrutiny of Ireland's hard- fought 39-20 win over Portugal on Monday, in particular the Irish stand-off Bryn Cunningham's penchant for making the individual break.
Even when Cunningham was replaced in the second half, his deputy, Geordan Murphy, was out of the same mould. ''Looking at their two stand-offs against Portugal, we feel we could do with a genuine open-side making big tackles,'' he said.
The back-row equation also involved a niggling back injury to Tim Stephens and he has been rested in the hope he will be firing on all cylinders come the Scots' next match on Friday.
Should they beat the Irish then that would most probably be against the hosts, Argen-tina, in the semi-final of the main event.
The injuries to Marcus Dirollo (shin) and Ross Haddow (hamstring) largely dictated the shape of the back division. Chris Paterson moves to centre, outside the trio who gelled so well against the English, Chris Black, Gordon Ross, and the hard-tackling Alistair Dickson.
Hamish Boyd will occupy the wing berth in which he has done in the past, both at Merchiston Castle School and at Boroughmuir.
The Irish seem certain to include the 6ft 8in Robert Casey as their main lineout source, while 6ft 5in back row forward, Leo Cullen, has already impressed hugely for the Ireland under-21 side this season.
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