AS IF TO underline the disjointed nature of international under age rugby, head coach Nigel Carolan was among the few in an IRFU track suit after gathering his squad yesterday.

The players filtered in to the Sandymount Hotel from training in provincial gear; purple Munster tops, the navy of Leinster, the red-lined Ulster jackets and dark green of Connacht. After a quick lunch it was time for a physical as well as mental colour swap. Out with the provincial banners, and all in under the IRFU badge.

Carolan’s squad bears only three members of the group which lost out in the final of last summer’s U20 World Championship – by beating New Zealand along the way.

The balance of the team is altered somewhat, the domineering presence of James Ryan and Andrew Porter last year will be replaced by a pack that must be more agile, with the focus of Irish attacks left to a back-line with an exciting “x-factor”.

However, the target of developing players and letting them take another step towards the professional grade remain unchanged.

I think there’s a core of really good guys there. If we can get the ball off the forwards, they can do some real damage.”

“Over the next few days it’s about building some team cohesion and enabling guys to get battle-hardened in all the sessions we have so we can really go at it,” says Carolan.

“Last year I felt we went into the first (Six Nations) game a little bit cold and I felt we lacked that sort of cohesion and togetherness. So that’s the focus these two days and particularly Monday, Tuesday when we name the side.”

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Last summer was an undoubted high point in Carolan’s regime in charge at this grade. Results in the spring tournaments have been hard-won, but now going into his third Six Nations, Carolan feels he has settled into a rhythm at the helm of team with precious little continuity.

“We’ve realised that less is more. We have our own sort of mantra as a team from the start: ‘the simple things done brilliantly.’ We’ve pared everything right back and tried to simplify everything. The players still have the power to make decisions within the parameters, but there’s less of a menu to select from. That stood us well through the World Cup last year.

I think we’re a better team when we’ve got less things to focus on. Particularly this year (the focus is) around our collisions and collision skills – our tackle, ball-carrying and our breakdown.

“We’ve seen over the last two years that’s when the difference is made in the games, it’s not the fancy moves or plays. It’s in the individual, how he carries himself and how he copes with the level of physicality.