That “A” is a key letter in the team name, as it indicates that the side is Ireland’s second side and not the “true” side. That might imply that their matches don’t mean as much, but you wouldn’t so from looking at the Irish side as they won the tournament final 49-22 over their English counterparts, the England Saxons.

The contest between these representative sides brings to mind the broad variety in the names so many nations provide for their second-tier side. It can cause a bit of confusion, particularly given that at the club level many sides choose to refer to their first side as an “A” side and can thus misinterpret the “A” designator’s meaning at the national level. To help out any confused parties, here’s a list of prominent national second-level sides in rugby union with a brief explanation of each:

• “A” sides: In addition to Ireland, a number of other nations refer to their second side as the “A” side. Scotland, France, Italy, Wales, and Australia have all fielded “A” sides in recent years, though the latter two of these countries are not presently fielding an “A” side.
• England Saxons: The Saxons used to be referred to as England “A” (and previously as England “B,” to add to the confusion), but have been known as the Saxons since 2006.
• Junior All Blacks: Though the term “Junior All Blacks” might suggest an age-grade side, the Junior All Blacks are New Zealand’s second-grade side and do not have any age association.
• New Zealand Māori: Not technically a second-level side, New Zealand Māori can be mentioned on this list as a similar and unique national rugby union side. Players for the side are New Zealanders with at least one-sixteenth Māori heritage. Although the Junior All Blacks are New Zealand’s actual second-level side, the New Zealand Māori outfit has sometimes functioned as something similar to a second-tier New Zealand side by occasionally participating in tournaments such as the Churchill Cup and the Pacific Nations Cup in the Junior All Blacks’ stead.
• Emerging Springboks: Like the Junior All Blacks, the Emerging Springboks might sound like an age-grade side, but they are South Africa’s second-level representatives. Given that they earned a draw against the touring all-star British and Irish Lions yesterday, some might say they’ve already emerged!
• Argentina Jaguars: Like the Saxons, the Jaguars have a dedicated nickname that differs from their first-grade counterparts the Pumas.

In rugby league, officially-named second-tier national sides are featured less frequently, though there are some interesting representative sides such as:

• New Zealand Māori, which has the same eligibility requirements as the union version of the side,
• Indigenous Dreamtime, an Australian counterpart to the NZ Māori whose players are all at least one-sixteenth aboriginal in heritage, and the
• Prime Minister’s XIII, a side picked each year by the Australian Prime Minister to play against Papua New Guinea.

Hopefully that will help you keep track of all the monikers given to these second-string sides, which provide as much excitement as their first-grade versions in tournaments all over the globe each year.

Are any “A” sides missing from the list? Post a comment if so.

That’s right, each of the six teams in the two smaller pools finished 1-1. In Pool 2, France started things off by beating Scotland 36-18. Then, Fiji spanked France 42-6. Scotland, however, bounced back and edged Fiji 18-16. In the end, only a favorable for-and-against scoring margin put Fiji atop the pool.

In Pool 3, it was more of the same. Tonga got by Ireland 22-20, Samoa beat Tonga 20-12, and Ireland completed the circle of parity with a 34-16 win over Samoa that also put them atop the table on points difference.

Don’t be too quick to write this tournament off as a mere formality preceding Australia’s coronation. If you do, you’ll miss a lot of good matches–like Fiji’s 30-14 win over Ireland in a playoff match that sees them into the semifinals along with the three top finishers in the “super” pool–and also sees them pick up a big payday. This weekend, Fiji will take on Australia in one semifinal while New Zealand plays England in the other. Meanwhile, Fiji’s tries from that playoff match with Ireland are below:

Of course, Australia’s lopsided 30-6 win over New Zealand Sunday leaves many thinking that the Kangaroos are still the overwhelming favorites, but three close contests from four is not a bad outcome for the tournament’s opening weekend. Even the exhibition match between an Australian Indigenous side and a New Zealand Maori side was a thriller, with the Maori holding a lead as late as the last ten minutes before losing 34-26.

If you haven’t had a look yet (U.S. viewers can watch on the Setanta network or online on Espn360.com), reconsider it. This weekend has some exciting clashes ahead, including a Tonga-Samoa showdown that promises to be intense.

Here’s a bit of what you’ve missed so far:

Tonga v. Ireland:

PNG v. England:

Australia v. NZ:

And if you’re a fan of traditional pre-match ceremonies such as the famous New Zealand Haka, you won’t want to miss the spectacle that took place before the Maori-Indigenous exhibition match:

Rugby league is far behind rugby union in terms of worldwide audiences, but it looks the opening match has earned at least one new fan in the British press. Will the tournament win you over as well? Have a look at the tries from the first match as you think it over: