Ireland won't obsess over 'exceptionally big' Tuilagi

Posolo Tuilagi is impossible to ignore but that doesn't mean that the Irish Under-20s are obsessing over the giant France lock.

Weighing in at just shy of 150kg and standing almost 6ft 5in, the 18-year-old Perpignan man, nephew of England’s Manu, has been something of a poster boy of this World Championship.

He missed the clash against Ireland in this season’s Six Nations but has made an impression in five U20s games since, helping himself to three tries, two of which came against New Zealand in their pool meeting.

While he stands out for his size, the Samoa-born forward also has considerable first-team experience under his belt.

Last season he made 12 Top14 appearances and played four games in the Challenge Cup.

It’s his considerable bulk and 14 of his French team-mates who stand between Ireland and a first ever World Rugby U20 Championship title when the sides line out at the Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town this evening (6pm Irish time).

"You’ve got to recognise the size," says front-row forward Paddy McCarthy.

"He’s an exceptionally big player, good hands as well.

"Technically, in the contact area, you’d have to identify maybe double hits and things like that but you can’t focus too much on one player because we want to play our game as well.

"We are confident, we’ve faced massive players in lots of different teams, England as well, so we’re focusing on our system and haven’t gone over [the top] on individuals."

France line out with six of the eight forwards that started the 33-31 Six Nations defeat and McCarthy, brother of Ireland international Joe, knows that how the forward battle plays out will have a huge bearing on proceedings.

"They have a very good scrum," said the loosehead, who can also play on the other side.

"We